New Westminster is hoping to become the first Canadian city to establish a sister city relationship with a First Nations community.
On Monday night, council unanimously approved a motion authorizing the mayor and city clerk to sign agreements to bind the city into a sister community relationship with the Tl’etinqox (Anaham) government, if an agreement is accepted by that government. While Chief Joe Alphonse, tribunal chief of the Tl’etinqox government, has expressed interest in a relationship with New Westminster, it still needs to be voted on by the Tl’etinqox government.
“This is a Canadian first,” said Coun. Jaimie McEvoy. “This is the first time a Canadian municipality has adopted a sister city type relationship with a First Nations community. It’s another New Westminster first – not officially yet, but it’s about to be. I think we can be proud of that, but the real thing is to carry on that relationship and carry on that reconciliation work on an ongoing basis, which this will do.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote said New Westminster has several sister cities in different countries, but this would be unique because it’s dealing with a First Nations community in British Columbia. He said the “historic” sister city relationship would really connect to the truth and reconciliation process that the city is currently going through.
“I think it’s going to be a meaningful way that we can engage in the discussion about truth and reconciliation and our relations with First Nations communities that are living in New Westminster but also outside the city in the province of British Columbia,” Cote said. “I am really happy to support this and am looking forward to taking the next step.”
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr, who has spearheaded the idea, said the motion approved by council ensures resources are available to send a small delegation to Anaham to sign an agreement or to cover expenses so a delegation can come to New Westminster. The city anticipates a one-day trip to sign the agreement would cost $2,000 for a delegation comprised of the mayor, the city clerk and two councillors.
“I should add that Tl’etinqox was hard hit by the fires in 2017, when we brought them the fire truck,” Puchmayr said. “They suffered huge costs.”
Puchmayr has visited the community in the Chilcotin to help deliver police cars and a fire truck that were no longer needed in New Westminster and were being replaced with newer vehicles.
“I think we have such a unique opportunity to be reaching out, as opposed to across the ocean, just across the province and creating these relationships. There is so much we can do. We are so much closer. We can be more interactive in what we do with sister city relationship,” he said. “Reconciliation is one of the most difficult things. There is no real textbook on reconciliation. It is a slow and steady building of trust and building of respect. I want to continue that.”
In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, Puchmayr hopes other communities across Canada will look at this model in the future.
