Neepawa signs sister city agreement

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Published on Tuesday, September 5, 2017

photo by Eoin Devereux
Neepawa mayor Adrian de Groot signs the formal agreement with Salvatierra, Mexico on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

A community partnership a year in the making nearly completed

By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press

Neepawa is now one step closer to having a ‘sister city’. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, mayor Adrian de Groot signed the formal declaration to establish the ceremonial partnership with Salvatierra, Mexico. 

“Almost a year ago, we had a delegation from [Salvatierra] visit our community. That was the beginning of the process, which culminates today, with the signing of this declaration of sister city agreement,” said de Groot. “On behalf of the [Neepawa Town Council], which moved the resolution at its last meeting earlier this month. And, also on behalf of the citizens of Neepawa, we are pleased to enter into this agreement. This opens up a great opportunity, between these two communities to forge a strong working relationship and friendship, which we look forward to fostering for years to come.”
The process to get the sister city agreement finalized first began in Sept. 2016, when a delegation from the Mexican community came to Manitoba on a trade mission sponsored by HyLife and their partner, Mercator Inc. The group consisted of representatives for the City of Salvatierra, including their mayor, Jose Herlindo Velazquez. The purpose of the trip was to strengthen the partnership between HyLife, Mercator and the communities of Salvatierra and Neepawa.
Following the visit, Salvatierra, which is located in central Mexico, recently sent a formal letter to Neepawa initiating the request. Council considered the request and passed the resolution to sign the sister city agreement. Representatives with Salvatierra are expected to sign the agreement during their annual celebration scheduled for mid September.

photo by Eoin Devereux
The formal declaration to establish the ceremonial partnership between Neepawa and Salvatierra, Mexico. Next to the document sits a large balero, a mexican toy,  which was a gift from the trade delegation that visited in 2016