BARRY’S BAY – Township of Madawaska Valley (TMV) regular council meeting was held the evening of December 7 under the chair of Mayor Kim Love. Former mayor of TMV, Dave Shulist, made a presentation to council regarding the Lipusz Declaration.
Shulist explained the relationship between TMV and Lipusz, Kashubia, to council.
In 2014, the Council of the Township of Lipusz sent the council of TMV a request to twin towns. Shulist said that in the fall of that year TMV created a twinning policy and accepted the proposed twinning.
There are now documents hanging on the wall in the Council Chambers in Lepusz signifying the twinning, said Shulist.
In the summer of 2015, when Shulist was on holiday in Kashubia, he was invited by the mayor and council of Lipusz to witness their acceptance of the twinning and the signing of the Declaration of Cooperation.
The declaration acknowledges the common language, culture and heritage shared by the two communities and seeks to establish a partnership to preserve the bonds of Canadian Kashubians with their ancestral lands and customs.
The declaration includes a willingness to cooperate in social, cultural, business, educational, economic and tourist fields.
Shulist offered, as a private citizen, to act as a liaison between the two townships. Shulist noted the number of names of Lipusz councillors were common to Madawaska Valley; Kulas, Narloch, Rekowsczi, Ostrowsczi, Szulfer and Lipinsczi.
Lipusz council, Shulist said, have recommended that both communities exchange books, literature or any information about our communities. The Lipusz library has a section open for the Madawaska Valley, said Shulist.
He recommended our library open space for Kashubian books.
Shulist mentioned that we have many books written by Kashubian authors from the Madawaska Valley and throughout Renfrew County that could be sent to Lipusz, Kashubia.
Shulist then presented the Lipusz Declaration of Cooperation which they hope will be displayed at the township office.
Get your December 16, 2015 edition of The Valley Gazette to read the full story.