All the participants in this year’s St. Laurent – Lethbridge twinning program visited Mayor Alan DeSousa and his team at the borough’s office.
(Photo: Geneviève Bouchard)
Identical twins
For 40 years St. Laurent and the city of Lethbridge, Alberta have been twinned. Each year citizens from both municipalities visit each other in turns. Last June, five Laurentians spent a week in the western part of the country and, on August 8th, the borough welcomed six Lethbridge residents. They also took this opportunity to take a trip to some of the most charming places in the province.
When it all came to an end, Don Loeloff and Sharon Prenevost from Lethbridge, and Laurentians Mario and Hélène Tassé all agreed on one thing: “Those kinds of cultural exchanges make us realize that we’re more alike than we think. We have the same basic needs, ideas, and interests.” But before they came to that realisation, they first got in contact over the Internet. “We gave each other some background info, to get to know each other a little more,” said Mario Tassé.
Off to Lethbridge
As soon as they arrived, the St. Laurent couple and their hosts realized that they had a lot in common, especially their love of travelling. Therefore, Mr. Loeloff and Mrs. Prenevost made sure their one-week schedule was completely full. They took a trip to the Rocky Mountains and saw Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. The quartet also visited museums, walked in parks, saw a play and did a tour of the town. “The people were very friendly and outgoing. I think the dry air and flat land also helped us feel relax,” said Mario Tassé.
Welcome to St. Laurent
From August 8 to 15, it was Mr. Loeloff and Mrs. Prenevost turn to discover new horizons. Their hosts decided to bring them on a road trip with stops in Quebec City, Charlevoix and Tadoussac to see the whales. “We didn’t see any whales, but we loved the scenery and the people», mentioned Don Loeloff.
The afternoon prior to the farewell cocktail, the four new friends went on a last ride at the Lachine Rapids. Even if they will remember this experience for a long time, the thing that forever will be engraved in their memories is the people the met. “Talking and sharing: that’s really the most important in order to enjoy everything we see,” said Mrs. Prenevost.
The feeling of complicity is shared by the mayor of Lethbridge, Robert D. Tarleck, who was in St-Laurent during the week of August 6. “We have a lot in common, like our economy and industrial force. What’s interesting about St. Laurent is also how they are building a community with such vast cultural differences,” said Mr. Tarleck.
How it began
The idea of twinning cities of Quebec with others from the rest of the country was born in 1967, the year of Montreal’s International and Universal Exposition and the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. The government decided to twin 27 cities hoping to bring Anglophones and Francophones closer and therefore diminish the language tensions existing at the time.
“I think we’re the only active twinning left,” said Mayor Alan DeSousa. The main reason why the Mayor feels it’s important to continue the program is because of a speech Marcel Laurin did in 1967. “In his speech he talked about language tensions and I think it still matters today. The twinning helps people understand each other better.”
(Photo: Geneviève Bouchard)
Weather: Montreal, July 19th 2008 / 20°C
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by Pascal LeBlanc 
Steven Guilbeault - Environment Column
Richard Cléroux - National Columnist
