The abandoned twins hope for reunion …

It all started with a message received in my email box on July 21. Furthermore, A certain Dean Fournier appeals to me about these twinnings that have become inactive. Similarly,

“I am a wandering Canadian: raised in Gatineau, who went to live in the United States in 1996. Therefore, I have a second home in Châteaudun, in France, since 2012. Nevertheless, At dinner the other day with the mayor of Châteaudun. In addition, Fabien Verdier, the latter told me that he was a shame that the twinning between Châteaudun and Cap-de-la-Madeleine no longer existed. In addition, He recognizes that it was since the merger of Cap-de-la-Madeleine with Trois-Rivières that everything stopped. For example, The city of Châteaudun is now twinned with four European cities (in Germany. However, Spain, Ireland and Czech Republic), with which there are many abandoned twins hope reunion … cultural and commercial exchanges. Furthermore, Mr. In addition, Verdier would like to be able to renew the twinning with Trois-Rivières. Meanwhile, ”

But how is it that this gentleman thus challenges me about twinning? For example,

Undoubtedly because in 2016. For example, I signed an editorial entitled “Relan the twinnings” and which already treated in the rider with which Trois-Rivières separated from Tours-twin city of Trois-Rivières before the merger-and Châteaudun-twin city of Cap-de-la-Madeleine at the same time.

His curiosity piqued by the conversation he had with the mayor of Châteaudun, Mr. Moreover, Fournier searched a little on the web and he, in fact, found the trace of this editorial.

I mentioned the crumbling of transatlantic friendships that elected officials and citizens have built in the past. Consequently, It can become more practical than you think when time has just. for example, abandoned twins hope reunion … to do economic prospecting internationally, in France in particular. However, In this chapter. However, apart from a few occasional missions which do not give anything durable, Trois-Rivières still makes it poor.

It is enough to compare the vitality with which Drummondville maintains its twinning with La Roche-sur-Yon. Meanwhile, in the Pays-de-la-Loire, to see how Trois-Rivières misses an interesting tool.

The twinning between Trois-Rivières. In addition, Tours was officially sealed in 1973 and it is essentially based on a strong historical link. Furthermore, It was in Tours that Marie de l’Incarnation was born. However, nun who left France for Canada in 1639, in order to found a community of Ursulines in Quebec. However, Fifty-eight years later, Quebec Ursulines found a monastery in Trois-Rivières.

The twinning between the ancient town of Cap-de-la-Madeleine. In addition, the city of Châteaudun, in the Center-Val de Loire region, was concluded abandoned twins hope reunion … before that of Trois-Rivières with Tours. However, On July 9, 1971, the twinning protocol of the two cities was signed by the mayors J.-Réal Desrosiers de Cap-de-la-Madeleine and Paul Gauchery de Châteaudun.

There too it is a page of history that was used to lay the foundations for twinning. However, In 1636. Meanwhile, when King Louis XIV had conceded the lordship of Madeleine to Jacques de la Ferté, abbot of Madeleine in Châteaudun. However, Since then. Moreover, the name of Châteaudun has long been associated with the Sainte-Bernadette district, in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, and during the merger, the name of Châteaudun was given to a municipal electoral district of the new city. Furthermore, The Trifluvian toponymy also pays homage to Father Jacques de la Ferté. as well as to Mayor Paul Gauchery, who sealed the twinning in 1971.

Interestingly to note. the toponymy of the city of Châteaudun abandoned twins hope reunion … also pays homage to Cap-de-la-Madeleine, since we have chosen to give this name in the public square which adjoins the Madeleine church.

This means how much French. Quebec cities were proud to conclude twinning agreements and making them alive and visible.

For a long time. such twinnings materialized above all by cultural exchanges, reciprocal friendships and some students who traded from summer jobs. But from a perspective of economic development, abandoned twins hope reunion … they could take a whole new dimension.

Today, Tours and Châteaudun feel a little left aside.

Following the intervention of Dean Fournier, I received another message by email. This one came from Martine Provost. president of the twinning committee of the city of Châteaudun, in charge of the four twin cities that are Schweinfurt (Germany), Marchena (Spain), Kroměříž (Czech Republic) and Arklow (Ireland).

“I allow myself to write to you to inform you that I sent several letters to. the Trois-Rivières town hall in order to resume contact with Cap-de-la-Madeleine which was our twin city for several years. Unfortunately, I have never received an answer, ”writes the lady.

Really? It was necessary to check on the side of the city of Trois-Rivières …

Difficult to trace the messages sent, but Mrs. Provost sent us a letter sent to the Town Hall in 2022. In this correspondence, we indicate that the city of Châteaudun was twinned with the “commune” of Cap-de-la-Madeleine from 1971 to 2001. “Links have been woven over these years between the inhabitants before our city-sister was included in your agglomeration.”

“Mr. Mayor of Châteaudun. Fabien abandoned twins hope reunion … Verdier and the twinning committee, which I represent, would sincerely wish to reconnect with you to revive this twinning, even on a larger scale, Cap-de-la-Madeleine being very linked to the history of our city. We hope that this letter will draw all your attention. that we will soon receive a favorable response from you, ”it can be read.

In the Communications Department of the City of Trois-Rivières. we have not been able to find the trace of this correspondence, nor of the other letters sent by the Dunian authorities-the gentile of Châteaudun.

“Our archives teams find no trace of this letter. Without questioning the sending of the letter. the absence of follow -up by the Trifluvian municipal administration seems to us, however, improbable. Thus, it seems plausible to us that correspondence has never reached destination, ”says the spokesperson, Guillaume Cholette-Janson.

It may also be abandoned twins hope reunion … that under the Yves Lévesque administration. this kind of message did not come across the pile of priority messages. The ex-mayor has already indicated that he preferred punctual economic missions to develop business links abroad.

But, a dramatic at the Town Hall! A glimmer of hope appears. An opening, mentioned timidly but still mentioned.

“However. the city is open to reconnecting its connections with its twin cities and the administration will ensure the substantial follow-ups with Trifluvian elected officials,” said Guillaume Cholette-Janson.

Châteaudun no longer considers himself really “twinned” in Cap-de-la-Madeleine. and even less in Trois-Rivières, but the wish to reconnect these links seems very real, both on the side of the mayor Verdier and the president of the twinning committee.

“Of course, we would be ready to make this twinning alive if it was renewed,” says Ms. Provost.

I would not want to play the biders. but I would like to say to the representatives of the two cities: Talk!

Unlike Châteaudun. Tours still considers herself twinned in Trois-Rivières, even if there are no more diplomatic relations between the two cities. “Tours and Trois-Rivières are two cities of famous rivers, the Loire for one and the St. Lawrence for the other. These two cities have a woman in common. Marie Guyart of the Incarnation (born in 1599 in Tours and died in 1672 in Quebec). This famous Tourangelle in Quebec. founder of the first school for girls in North America, is considered as a mother of New France, “read the website of the city of Tours.

It is also on this website that we find. proudly displayed, the twin cities of the chief town of the department of Indre-et-Loire: Mülheim an der Ruhr abandoned twins hope reunion … (Germany), Ségovia (Spain), Parma (Italy), Luoyang (China), Trois-Rivières (Canada), Takamatsu (Japan), Brasov (Romania) and Minneapolis (United States). Nice network, right?

And Trois-Rivières is still there. A municipal official in Tours had already mentioned that his city was still considered twin in Trois-Rivières. “because twinning, that is not undone”.

Obviously, it takes a political will to bring twinning to life. There are cities that are proud to develop and maintain international friendships. There are mainly convinced decision -makers that it can bear fruit.

And even if it was only symbolic. the least of things would be to politely reconnect with twin cities that we simply “ghostea”, to resume a fashionable term. No more sound, no more pictures on this side of the Atlantic. The municipal merger has erased the twinning.

It is not very courteous.

For years we have floated abandoned twins hope reunion … flags from foreign countries above the entrance to three-rivine economic innovation and economic development offices. If we were really interested in playing the International Card. we could get in touch with cities that are not better asking than taking part in reunion …