Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Whitehorse Star

Mayor Laura Cabott

Sister City connection to be feted

The City of Whitehorse and the Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) will celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Whitehorse-Lancieux Sister City connection on Wednesday evening.

By Whitehorse Star on August 9, 2022

The City of Whitehorse and the Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) will celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Whitehorse-Lancieux Sister City connection on Wednesday evening.

The event, set for NorthLight Innovation off Second Avenue, will begin with speeches and refreshments at 5 p.m., with music kicking in at 5:45 p.m.

Both cities share a history with poet Robert W. Service as he adopted these two locations as his homes for his poetic inspirations.

The great affection he had for these towns still brings the sister cities of Whitehorse and Lancieux together today.

“We are so excited to celebrate our sister city relationship with Lancieux,” Mayor Laura Cabott said today.

“Whitehorse’s francophone community continues to grow and contribute to the city’s rich cultural makeup.

“These types of relationships are so important to promoting economic, educational, and cultural exchanges, and none of it would be possible without the work of volunteers in Yukon and France who help it thrive.”

“What an honour to celebrate today the relationship between the two sister cities, Lancieux and Whitehorse,” said AFY president Lorraine Taillefer.

“Two cities the poet Robert W. Service called home and inspired his writing.

“Thank you so much to the City of Whitehorse for its annual collaboration and for celebrating with us this important event!”

Comments (13)

Up 0 Down 2

MITCH on Aug 16, 2022 at 11:20 am

@ Jan - I did not know that, and likely never would have had you not brought it up. I had heard we had a kindred paddle wheeler city but never put a name to it. I wish Whitehorse would be more interactive with Ushiku, Japan - one of the largest Buddha statues in the world there. They send gifts every year, we never really hear about that though. But hey, let's favour the French, who have had a such a bad run in Canada compared to the Japanese, no?

Up 0 Down 1

MITCH on Aug 16, 2022 at 11:17 am

@OPEN "YOUR " EYES - You ever consider this elderly gentleman doesn't get out that way much? Kind of why I was polite about it. What's your excuse, Liberal?

Up 5 Down 1

Jan Brandjes on Aug 13, 2022 at 5:15 pm

Another sister city -that was wiped off the sign- was Echuca, Victoria, Australia.
With a rich history of Paddlewheelers, the Murray River and a Goldrush, it all made sense to have Echuca part of the 'sisterhood'. Guess the airline tickets to OZ were too expensive!

Up 4 Down 1

Paul Harach on Aug 13, 2022 at 5:06 pm

@John
I drove through Lancieux in 2016, also visited Saint-Malo, and Mont-Saint Michel. Tons of history over there, and well worth a spending a day or two in this area of France. But, that makes at least 2 Yukoner's visiting in the past 6 years and the best road trip ever according to my Daughter.
I will also note that residents of small towns in France love Canadian visitors and seemed to bend over backwards to accommodate us and make us feel welcomed. This is probably due to the fact many of our relatives fought for them almost 80 years ago and some remain buried there today (Canadians in general, not my own). A visit to a Canadian Cemetery in France is an eye opening experience; they are perfectly and meticulously maintained. I agree the French spoken there is similar but different, but they always enjoyed my attempts at butchering their language. I am willing to go out on a limb and say that if you visited this area you would have a new found appreciation for these people and their culture.
Lastly, we did not see any signs similar to the one's I see coming into Whitehorse advertising the Sister Cities.

Up 7 Down 5

Open your eyes on Aug 12, 2022 at 4:16 pm

@bozojoe

There are 'Sister City' signs on the highway, both North and South of town. They've been there for decades. Not really a surprise you are ill informed yet again.

https://thetravelhack.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Visit-Yukon-16-768x552.jpg

Up 7 Down 0

MITCH on Aug 11, 2022 at 12:35 pm

@ BONANZAJOE- The sign coming into town off the Klondike Hwy Junction lists all three cities, I can't remember the third, but Lancieux and Ushiku, Japan are two of them. I don't disagree with your stance, I have he same stance, just wanted to point it out.

Up 11 Down 10

bonanzajoe on Aug 10, 2022 at 9:00 pm

How many Yukoners even heard of Lancieux or even knew it was a sister - ahem - person city? I never, and I have been a Yukoner for almost 50 years. Did Cabot know before she became Mayor? And how many Lancieuxers know they have a relative city in Yukon? Must have been done by Liberals. You know how they like transparency.

Up 16 Down 3

Nathan Living on Aug 10, 2022 at 5:12 pm

I think the real issue here is that Whitehorse Star is highlighting what is a good feeling news story that has taken very little of the mayor's time while deviating from the bread and butter issues that are most troubling for Whitehorse taxpayers.

Up 16 Down 6

John on Aug 10, 2022 at 2:18 pm

Pray tell what in the francophone community has to do with the Lancieux connection. Nothing. The don't even speak the same french. I will even go out on a limb and bet no-one has likely been there or for sure not from this city as well.

Up 18 Down 9

Oh Brother… Wherefore art thou? on Aug 10, 2022 at 9:32 am

Given the city’s commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and equity (DIE) there will be just as much enthusiasm and resources committed to our 4 other Sister Cities - Oh the irony of female privilege - Nothing at all for our Brother Cities? Of course not!

And of course there shall be the adoption of equivalency for all expressions of gender diversity - Queer cities, Queen cities, Non-binary Cities etc to combat the gender norming inherent within the meaning of “sister”.

Up 35 Down 5

Pierre on Aug 9, 2022 at 9:54 pm

I would suggest the Filipino community has brought more to The Yukon in the last 10 years than les francophonies have in the last exaggerated 50 years.

Up 20 Down 4

BnR on Aug 9, 2022 at 7:19 pm

Sister city you say?
Well, they sorted out our housing crisis, nothing else to do, might as well appease the Franco Yukonnaise.

Up 43 Down 7

Bill on Aug 9, 2022 at 3:06 pm

Oh boy, free snacks - (well almost free - at taxpayer's expense).
Another photo op.

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