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On the evening of November 25, 1982 City of Halifax Mayor Ron Wallace and Hakodate Mayor Yasushi Yano signed a Twinning Agreement. Halifax aldermen and the delegation from Japan chatted at the reception following the twinning ceremony. So began a relationship between our city and the Japanese city which, like Halifax, boasts a busy port, a historic star-shaped citadel and a northerly climate. |
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HRM Archives 102-56-1-3
History of Exchange Activities between Halifax and Hakodate:
| 1982 |
twinning agreement signed |
| 1985-1987 |
Hakodate delegations visited Halifax |
| 1987 |
Hakodate-Halifax Association established in Hakodate |
| 1988 |
Halifax-Hakodate Friendship Society established in Halifax and Halifax delegation visited Commemorative Expo opening the Seikan undersea Tunnel to Honshu |
| 1980s-1990s |
Educational exchanges arranged with St. Mary's University and Hakodate institutions |
| 1990 |
Halifax citizens' delegations visited Hakodate (Archives has video of visit) |
| 1992 |
Hakodate citizens' delegation visited Halifax for 10th anniversary |
| 1992 |
Halifax delegation attended Hakodate's 70th Anniversary events |
| 1993 |
Hakodate City Board of Eductation hired its first Assistant English Teacher from Halifax |
| 1994 |
Two marathon runners from Halifax compete in Hakodate Half-Marathon |
| 1995 |
Hakodate delegation attends G-7 Summit events in Halifax. (Archives has video of visit) |
| 1997 |
Hakodate hosts International Star-Shaped Citadel Cities summit, co-chaired by HRM Mayor Walter Fitzgerald |
| 1997 |
Halifax delegation attends 15th anniversary events in Hakodate |
| 1999 |
Hakodate delegation attends celebration events for the 250th anniversary of the founding of Halifax |
| 1998-2006 |
Hakodate Junior Chamber of Commerce selects a Nova Scotia Christmas Tree for its Christmas Fantasy exhibition |
| 2002 |
Hakodate delegation visits HRM for 20th anniversary and presents videocassette from Christmas Fantasy |
| 2007 |
25th Anniversary Celebrations - including Japanese Little New Year Celebration at St. Mary's University |
Below are a few images from HRM Archives that document the Halifax-Hakodate Twinning:
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July 1988 - Mayor Ron Wallace (4th from left)and a delegation from Halifax were welcomed to their Hakodate hotel with this model of the Town Clock
HRM Archives 102-56-1-1.6 |
In 1988 Halifax held an Art, Story and Poetry Contest to promote the twinning and to encourage creativity in youth. A selection of winning entries on the theme of Japan or Japanese people living abroad was published in this booklet.
HRM Archives 102-56-1-5 |
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Each year the Hakodate Junior Chamber of Commerce selects many Nova Scotia fir trees to send to Hakodate for its Christmas Fantasy. They construct one huge tree as the centrepiece of their holiday celebrations. These images are from 2000.
HRM Archives 102-56-1-7 |
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This 1994 tourist brochure shows the city of Hakodate, on the northern island of Hokkaido. Its maritime location and industry, star-shaped fort, and history as a major international port made it a natural sister-city for Halifax-HRM.
HRM Archives 102-56-2-2 |
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