Travel agents will be standing by

The Province's grant of 50,000 dollars towards the goal of building Asian links, has the Mayor excited about the potential to promote and develop "Canada's next great port city".

The Daily News had details on last week's fifty thousand dollar presentation from Premier Campbell, outlining some of the plans that the city may have for the money including, establishing the city's vision and objectives, identifying potential partners and supporting travel for senior officials to conduct face-to-face meetings.

The twinning program grants were first announced earlier this year, when the Province invited municipalities to apply for the financial assistance to increase their footprint on the world.

Prince Rupert's past twin city programs seem to have fallen through the cracks over the years, as the city drifted into an economic malaise.

When better financial times were available the late Mayor Peter Lester was known to make the occassional journey across the Pacific to share in the twinnings of cities in Japan and China. Trips that normally resulted in much ballyhooed presentations like the China Steel mill or some other large potential development, which in the end never seemed to come to fruition.

The revived program offers up the opportunity to rekindle those links to Asia, or create new ones with cities that may have more tangible impact on Prince Rupert.

Full details on the grant and the city's thoughts on it were found in Tuesday's Daily News.

Province puts cash on table to build Asia links
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Page one and two

While in Prince Rupert last week to announce funding for improvements to Mariner's Park, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell also presented the city with $50,000 to build better twinning relationships with Asian communities.

"We're encouraging local governments here in B.C. to explore relationships in the Asia Pacific region, as the advantages are tremendous," said Campbell.

"This initiative will support local governments like Prince Rupert's, who have already demonstrated leadership and action in forging ties with their Asian counterparts so they may further strengthen those bonds and realize the social and economic benefits."

Building stronger relationships with twinning cities in China and other Asian countries has been a hope of Prince Rupert city council for some time.

However, finding the funds to properly establish such relationships has been difficult.
With the $50,000 now available, Prince Rupert will be able to make some initial plans, such as establishing the city's vision and objectives, identifying potential partners and supporting travel for senior officials to conduct face-to-face meetings.

The funds can also be used to develop materials that will promote twinning efforts, including the funding of translating materials or the provision of cultural awareness training for staff and council members involved with the initiative.

"This grant makes all the difference in the world for Prince Rupert," said Mayor Herb Pond.
"As we develop Canada's next great port city, we view strategic twinning relationships as crucial."

"We've been very active in our twinning relationship with Ketchikan, Alaska, which is close, working on transportation issues, travelling back and forth for community celebrations," said Pond.

"But due to budget restrains, our Asian relationships have fallen dormant. The financial assistance from the province is just the catalyst we needed in reviving key Asian relationships, opening up corridors for business, education and cultural exchanges that will help us expand B.C.'s newest Pacific Gateway."

A total of 24 municipalities across B.C. have been given funds in the amounts of either $25,000 or $50,000, which were dependent on their local governments meeting a series of criteria. In order to qualify for the twinning funding, municipalities had to have a population of at least 40,000 and an existing Asia Pacific twinning relationship, or be positioned to support the province as a pre-eminent trade and cultural hub between Asia and North America. The municipalities also needed to have demonstrated recent initiatives to establish economically-robust twinning relationships with local governments or have declared an interest in pursuing relationships with a clear need for financial assistance.