A few dozen German students — with their Canadian housemates in tow — packed into the council chambers at city hall Monday night as they were welcomed to Barrie as part of the Youth Ambassadors program.
Barrie's twin city since 1996, Zweibrücken is a town of approximately 34,000 people located along the Schwarzbach river in the Rhineland-Palatinate area of southwest Germany.
For two decades, there has been a steady stream of students going to and from the two cities to learn more about each other's culture while also forging long-lasting friendships.
Dave Morrison, chairman of the city's international relations committee, called the program "enormously special" in how it's handled with officials in Zweibrücken.
"What's intriguing about it is, from the beginning we established that we would allow the other country to establish some of the basic rules," he said.
With Murayama, Japan, which is one of Barrie's friendship cities, Morrison said their visits to Barrie are required to be in the summer, can't involve school and are typically just two weeks in length.
"But Germany saw it differently; it had to include school and it had to be at least a month, because there was no way the Germans were going to come across the pond for less than that amount of time," he said.
Morrison says it was an easy handshake to make.
The city and the Simcoe County District School Board have partnered with the Global Perspectives program (which Morrison used to co-ordinate before retiring) for more than two decades.
Around 1,000 German and Canadian students have participated in the exchange.
"There is nowhere else in this province, and I would bet this country, that can say they have anything remotely like this," Morrison added.
Mayor Jeff Lehman said there's no better way to learn about someone else's culture than by simply immersing yourself in it.
"We live in this time where we talk to each other through our phones and not face-to-face," he said, adding there's a mutual benefit for students from both countries. "Year after year, we hear those words about this program."
The mayor encouraged the students to enjoy their stay.
"I really hope you enjoy your time here in Canada, you enjoy your time here in Barrie and know that you take back to Zweibrücken the friendship of a city that has lasted for many years and will continue to for many years to come," he added.
Zweibrücken's Tim Lehmann, a math and physics teacher leading the German delegation here in Canada, said he has heard many stories about the exchange in the high school halls back home.
"You cannot help but hearing students speak enthusiastically about the Canada exchange and what an amazing experience the trips are (and) the friendships that are formed," he said, noting it also teaches students to think on a global level.
But it never occurred to him that he could also reap the benefits himself.
"Now, after being part of the global family for a year and a half, I can tell you that taking part in this program means much more than I'm able to put into words," Lehmann added.
Similar to Barrie, the Zweibrücken area had a long-standing military tradition. It was also home to a NATO military air base that was controlled by the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1953 until 1969, and by the Americans from 1969 to 1991 when it closed. It now operates as a civilian airport.
Later in the evening, council also approved the establishment of a legacy fund with the Barrie Community Fund for the Youth Ambassador Program at Monday's meeting.
The City of Barrie is also a friendship city to Murayama, Japan; Harrogate, UK; and Arras, France.
For the Japanese program, it alternates each year with either a group coming to Barrie or one going to Murayama, which is a city of around 25,000 people and located approximately 400 kilometres north of Tokyo.
When a Japanese delegation left Barrie in August, they had a gift for the city. The gourd, grown by a Japanese farmer who has been to Barrie several times, was carved and turned into a light. It was officially presented Monday night and is considered to be a significant honour on behalf of the Japanese people.
Mark Sachkiw, vice-chairman of the city's international relations committee, made the presentation on behalf of the Japanese delegation.
