Madawaska Valley Councillor David Shulist spoke to County of Renfrew’s Development and Property Committee on March 10 about the progress of the twinning relationship MV enjoys with the Town of Lipusz in Poland. Committee Chair Bob Sweet introduced Shulist explaining that his presentation would be of interest to the Committee as they respond to a recent twinning invitation from Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Shulist explained the MV partnership grew from a 2008 meeting when he and Lipusz mayor, Mirek Ebertowsczi, discussed the shared ancestry of both communities. Although both men saw great potential in a cooperative relationship, it was not until a visit by the Kashubian Griffins men’s team to play hockey in Poland in April 2014 that Lipusz issued a formal invitation to enter into a twinning partnership. Shulist said the Griffins team members were surprised to be treated like superstars during their visit. Photo above shows them signing autographs for school children.
County’s Development and Property Committee heard the official history of twinning after the initial invitation: MV accepted the twinning proposal; Lipusz declared cooperation in social, cultural, business, educational, economic and tourist fields; MV accepted the declaration. Both municipalities created what Shulist called the Bridge of Friendship – maps of both communities that are displayed in both municipal offices. MV has instituted a Committee of Council for twinning comprised of volunteers: Carl Bromwich, Ed Chippior, Iwona Ostropolski, David Shulist, Richard Shulist and Cynthia Wolfgram.
The twinning partnership between Lipusz and MV began as a cultural initiative and grew out of sports. Hockey remains a bridge between the two communities. The Kashubian Griffins women’s hockey team plans a visit to Lipusz in the fall of 2020. Unlike the men’s team visit, the women’s team members are mostly university students so they plan it as more of an educational exchange. The Canadian women hope to learn more about their Kashubian ancestry. Shulist (inset) said although every player has Kashubian roots, they are also connected to Algonquin, Irish, German, Scottish and Wendish ethnicities. In this way, their visit will promote the team’s cultural diversity and will showcase Renfrew County as a true model of the Canadian multicultural identity.
Schools and public libraries have also become involved in the twinning partnership. In 2017 students at St. John Bosco School in Barry’s Bay engaged in an email exchange with Lipusz school children. Public libraries in both Lipusz and Madawaska Valley each display books from the other’s community about Kashubian culture and heritage.
Potential for partnership
Shulist pointed out the potential to cooperate on tourist and economic levels as well. For example, he said that in addition to Renfrew County, there were pockets of Kashubian descendants from Europe now living in several American communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota that are within about a day’s drive of Renfrew County. The potential to connect via twinning with those communities could benefit the Valley through tourism. Shulist also recalled a suggestion made by Craig Kelley, now Director of Development and Property for Renfrew County and formerly CAO in MV, that local maple syrup represents an export opportunity for Valley producers.
An ongoing initiative recently launched by the MV Twinning Committee is a cookbook exchange project called From our kitchen to theirs. Kashubian families in the Valley will send family recipes (with translations) to families sharing the same name in Lipusz, and vice versa. For example, “From the Recoskie Kitchen, Renfrew County, Canada to the Recoskie Kitchen in Lëpùsz, Kashubia, Europe. As Shulist says, this will “strengthen our friendship and leave a great taste in our relationships.”
Shulist ended his presentation by offering his personal support and assistance on the County twinning project with Renfrewshire. He recalled the visit from Scottish representatives to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the County of Renfrew in June 2011. Photo above shows David Shulist with Provost Celia Lawson and Councillor William Perrie, both of Renfrewshire, Scotland.