Itabashi, Japan

ln May of 1989 the City of Burlington signed a twinning agreement with the City of Itabashi, Japan. Since that time various exchanges and programs have been carried out between ltabashi and Burlington and relations between the cities have flourished on all levels. In return for the City of Burlington naming a road in Burlington "Itabashi Way", the City of Itabashi donated Itabashi Bridge to the city.

1999 marked the 10th anniversary of the twinning relationship and to honour this event Burlington received a fabulous waterfront fireworks display as a gift from Itabashi. Over 120 Itabashi visitors celebrated the twinning anniversary display along with close to 200,000 local residents. The City of Burlington marked the 10th anniversary by sending a delegation to Itabashi. One of the highlights of the visit was the unveiling of our gift to Itabashi, the Friendship clock. This clock is a replica of the 125th anniversary clock that stands outside Burlington City Hall.

20th Anniversary of Twinning with Itabashi, Japan
 
2009 marks the 20th anniversary of this twinning relationship. Burlington will be hosting guests from Itabashi in June 2009, during the Sound of Music Festival.  The Burlington Mundialization Committee, in association with DHTour, is inviting citizens to join a tour to Itabashi, Japan this summer. The cost of the July 29 to Aug. 8 tour is about $4,700 a person and includes air travel, chartered bus, train, most meals, hotel and admissions. Tour highlights include visits to:

• Tokyo’s Koishi-Kawa Korakuen Garden and Imperial Palace Plaza
• City of Itabashi
• Ise Grand Shrine and Mikimoto Pearl Island
• Kyoto’s Nijo Castle, Ryoanji Temple, Kinkakuji Temple and its Golden Pavilion, and the Kiyomizu Temple with its seven-tiered pagoda
• Mount Hakusan and the “Gassho-zukuri” village and Wada family residence in Shirakawago
• Mount Fuji and Matsumoto Castle Hakone and Owakudani Valley to observe volcanic activities
  Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima (optional)

For further details, please e-mail DHTour at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 905-639-9954, or e-mail the Mundialization Committee at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 905-335-7600 ext. 7492.

Apeldoorn, Netherlands

The City of Burlington signed an official twinning agreement on May 6, 2005, in Apeldoorn.  Apeldoorn Mayor Fred de Graaf, on behalf of the citizens of Apeldoorn, presented the citizens of Burlington with “Louise”, a piece of landscape furniture artwork as a sign of Apeldoorn’s commitment to the twinning. The City of Burlington presented a piece of original artwork entitled Jacob’s Creek, by Burlington artists Marian Cole and Elizabeth Pudsey, to the mayor and citizens of Apeldoorn as a sign of friendship and commitment to the twinning relationship. Jacob’s Creek is a magnificent quilt with five mixed media paintings and will serve as a solid reminder of the relationship that exists between our two cities.

After the official signing ceremony a number of initial objectives were discussed:
• Foster ties between Apeldoorn and Burlington’s veteran community
• Focus on youth, education and sports through exchange visits
• Focus on the arts through exchange visits including local artists

Entering into this twinning relationship is the culmination of the two cities working together for 10 years with the support of a grassroots organization of Burlington residents with ties to Apeldoorn and The Netherlands.  During this time both cities participated in a number of sport and cultural exchanges, as well as informal discussions.  Exchanges have included a contingent of young athletes from Apeldoorn participating in the Burlington International Games and a group of students from Nelson High School attending an International Youth Conference in Apeldoorn.

Related Pages

• City of Burlington

Related Links

• Tourism Apeldoorn
• Itabashi