Twin City - Nayoro, Japan

Twinning is a formal way for two communities, in often very different parts of the world, to come together and form ties of friendship. It is a way to understand and learn about other cultures, foster social and economic benefits, and exchange ideas and viewpoints. Twinning has a long history, dating back to the end of WWII, and has been a part of our local history since 1969.

The relationship grew out of several visits from local residents. The President of the Lindsay Lion's Club visited Tokyo in 1969 and met several citizens of Nayoro; Floyd and Doreen Holwett, also of Lindsay, went to Nayoro to work; and when Mayor Ikeda of Nayoro reached out to them to fulfill his own desire to twin his city with one in North America, they suggested Lindsay. Mayor John Eakins enthusiastically agreed.  Besides being of comparable size and on the same geographical latitude, both localities have similar weather conditions, a river, a town centre surrounded by agrarian land, and trillium wildflowers.

On August 1, 1969, the Town of Lindsay signed a Sister Relationship Agreement with the City of Nayoro, Japan. A formal Twinning Committee was then established and held its first meeting on January 29, 1970. The original committee comprised of service club presidents, school representatives from L.C.V.I., the Women's Overseas Club, and the Chamber of Commerce. The aim of the group was to formulate plans to establish a meaningful relationship with their new sister-city Nayoro, and dedicated the work as a contribution to a peaceful society.

Of the 75 Canada-Japan Sister and Friendship Cities, Lindsay and Nayoro are the 6th oldest on the list and the 2nd of fourteen in the province of Ontario.

Since 1969, Lindsay and Nayoro have continued to build and foster their relationship, with many dedications, events, and exchanges taking place. The clearest example of this in Lindsay, was the dedication of Nayoro Park, in honour of our relationship. Similarly in Japan, there is a park in Nayoro called Lindsay Park. 

In 2019, the previous long-time chair of the Twinning Committee, Heather Newman, received an award from the Consul-General of Japan, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for her dedication to Canada-Japan relations. She has since retired from the role, and the current Chair is Dylan Robichaud, a former exchange student to Japan. 

The main activity of the Committee is arranging and managing a formal student exchange with Nayoro, a program that has been very successful for many decades now. For more information about the exchange, please contact nayoro@kawarthalakes.ca. 

Every other year the Twinning Committee selects one or two students to travel to Nayoro for approximately 8 weeks in the summer. In the off-years, Nayoro sends students to visit Kawartha Lakes from mid-July to mid-September. Students are hosted by a number of families and have the opportunity to visit a school and to have an immersive Japanese experience. 

All high school students in Kawartha Lakes are eligible to participate in the program, with our students traveling to Nayoro in the even years. In 2026 and 2027, two students will be selected from each country to participate, and the committee will send a call out for those interested in going.