One of the casualties of the pandemic restrictions was a planned celebration of the 40th anniversary of the twinning relationship between the City of Quesnel and Shiraoi, Japan. In the lead up to this anniversary in 2021, a large delegation to Shiraoi had also been planned for 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 Olympics and the opening of a major new cultural center in Shiraoi.
The twinning relationship between Shiraoi and Quesnel is one of the oldest in British Columbia. The relationship was originally proposed in 1979 and formalized in 1981, primarily as a result of the impetus of the Daihshowa-Marubini International Paper Manufacturing Company which owned mills in both Quesnel and Shiraoi.
Like Quesnel, Shiraoi is a mill town located on the south coast of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Originally, the cultural exchanges and delegation visits between the two cities were organized by both community’s local elected Councils. In 1986, the Quesnel Shiraoi Twinning Society was formed and took over the organization of these visits and the maintenance of the relationship.
Over the forty year relationship, the two cities have undergone similar challenges: an ageing population and decline in school-age population that has resulted in school closures and restructuring; changes in their industrial base, including the sale of the Diashowa mill in Shiraoi (Diashowa is also no longer involved in Cariboo Pulp); significant economic and social transition; and, an increasing recognition of their aboriginal culture (the Ainu).
On the latter, Quesnel’s aspirations to build a major cultural center on the confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers to celebrate and showcase the Lhtako and Southern Carrier history and culture is mirrored in Shiraoi’s building of a major cultural center to celebrate the history and culture of Japan’s Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. Opened in 2020, the Upopoy National Ainu Museum is intended to be a major cultural tourism attraction for Japan.
In 2004, during a delegation visit to Shiraoi and a tour of their “Quesnel House,” a log building in one of the town’s parks, Quesnel’s Mayor of the day announced that Quesnel would build a Shiraoi House in LeBourdais Park. Shiraoi House (now “The Den”) was managed by the Twinning Society since it was built and was a place where Japanese culture could be experienced in Quesnel and where delegations to Shiraoi could prepare for their trip to Japan and Shiraoi delegations could visit when they came to Quesnel.
The last delegations between the two cities were held during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 school years and provided an enriching opportunity for both the adults and students participating in this cultural exchange. The Twinning Society is now planning to resurrect these exchanges, primarily with a focus on the school population once again. With the conversion of Shiraoi House to a commercial coffee house, the Twinning Society is now able to once again simply focus on these cultural exchanges as they originally intended, rather than having to struggle to maintain a building with increasingly limited volunteer capacity (like most volunteer organizations).
Over this winter and early spring, dialogue has been ongoing with Shiraoi Mayor and Council and we’re hoping to have an electronic joint Council meeting this year to restore the connections between the two local governments and celebrate our forty-year relationship. The City of Quesnel also continues to support the twinning exchanges as part of its annual budget when trips are planned to Shiraoi (gift exchange) and when a delegation comes to Quesnel (gift exchange and hosted dinner).
For more information about the Quesnel Shiraoi twinning relationship and/or any planned cultural exchanges, please contact quesnelshiraoitwinningsociety@gmail.com.
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