For the first time since 2019, a delegation of students has arrived in Port Alberni from Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan. The two cities have been "sister cities" since 1986.
Chaperone Shinko Tsunoda arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 with four students: Hiito Wakasone, Ryoga Sato, Mimi Sato and Mao Nakayama. They ventured to Victoria before arriving in Port Alberni on Jan. 8 for a welcome at the School District 70 (Pacific Rim) office.
Students were paired with their homestay families and all were welcomed by district and community officials.
Tsunoda has been visiting Port Alberni since 1986, when the Port Alberni Twinning Society held its first set of student exchanges. She stays with Janet Schlackl and her family.
"The first group we had, there were 60 kids," Schlackl recalled while waiting for the Abashiri delegation to arrive. In the beginning the two cities had exchanges every year: Port Alberni students travelled to Abashiri one year and Abashiri students came to Canada the next.
There has not been an exchange in six years, due to travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as economic constraints.
Marc Fryer, director of instruction-international education for SD70, said the connection between Port Alberni and Abashiri is "a continuation of a friendship that has spanned decades. This connection...has been a bridge across the ocean, fostering understanding, curiosity and the lasting friendships between our communities."
Tsunoda said it's hard not to get emotional about bringing a new group of students to experience Port Alberni and Vancouver Island for their brief visit.
School board chair Pam Craig welcomed the students and said she hopes their visit brings new discoveries every day while they are here.
Students will only be in Port Alberni until Sunday, when they leave for a few days' sightseeing in Vancouver. While here they will visit several schools with their fellow homestay students, go bowling and have a free day in the city before attending a Sayonara (goodbye) ceremony Saturday evening.
