On August 20, City of Chestermere officials were honoured by the first visit of Consul General of Japan in Calgary Shigenobu Kobayashi.
“We were delighted to welcome Mr. Kobayashi to our lakeside community,” says Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers. “This is the first time we have had the Consul-General visit our city and we hope that it marks the beginning of a strong relationship between Chestermere and the Japanese community.”
Mr. Kobayashi and Ms. Noriko Ikeyama, Consul for Economic Affairs, visited the new city to meet with local officials on matters of mutual interest, learn more about the new city’s economic opportunities and build relationships with local stakeholders.
Consul General Kobayashi also remarked, “2019 marks the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada, and this relationship is strengthened through exchanges in many areas, including broader people-to-people contacts. I am delighted to visit this beautiful city, to meet the people who make Chestermere home, and to hold fruitful discussions with Mayor Chalmers.”
The visit began with a formal welcome from Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers and Chestermere Chief Administrative Officer Bernie Morton.
At the meeting, the Consul-General and City officials exchanged gifts symbolizing the renewed and friendly relations enjoyed between the peoples of Canada and Japan. A formal business meeting and discussion followed.
To conclude the visit, Chestermere City Council formally acknowledged Mr. Kobayashi’s presence at a Council meeting.
During the acknowledgement, Mayor Chalmers offered congratulations on the behalf of the citizens of Chestermere to the Consul General on Emperor Naruhito’s recent ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Emperor Naruhito ascended to the Throne in May of this year after his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, abdicated.
“We thank Mr. Kobayashi and his delegation for coming to Chestermere today,” said Mayor Chalmers. “We recognize the importance of building a strong relationship with our Japanese counterparts and we were honoured by his visit. We look forward to finding more ways for our communities to build strong ties in the future.”