Caledon now has a “twin town” in Italy

Decision to pair with Isola del Liri made at April 26 Council meeting

By Zachary Roman

The Town of Caledon has struck a deal with the Town of Isola del Liri in Italy.

The two Towns will now be “twin towns.”

Town of Caledon council adopted a motion to sign a Twin City Agreement with Isola del Liri at its April 26 meeting.

“Isola del Liri is a picturesque ‘island' city between two branches of the Liri river,” according to Town of Caledon staff. It's in the southern Lazio region in the province of Frosinone.

This June, the Bolton Italian Culture Centre Organization — with support from the Town of Caledon — will host a delegation from Isola del Liri to “explore the economic benefits of the twinning opportunity.”  

Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson and Isola del Liri Mayor Vincenzo Quadrini have met in a virtual meet and greet and were excited about the possibilities an agreement could provide.

The motion for a twin city agreement was first brought forward by Councillor Tony Rosa.

In his motion, he said twin city agreements contribute to the promotion and celebration of cultural and economic ties to a community.

In his motion, Rosa said a number of Ontario municipalities have successful twin city agreements and that Isola del Liri shares many common elements with the Town of Caledon such as “resident and cultural ties as well as agricultural and natural heritage similarities.”

Since the motion passed, $7,500 from the Town of Caledon's Economic Development, Marketing and Events 2022 operating budget will be provided as a grant to the Bolton Italian Culture Centre Organization to host the delegation from Isola del Liri in June.

Caledon won't be the first Town Isola del Liri has ever signed an agreement with.

Isola del Liri hosts a free blues festival each year, Liri Blues Festival. For the festival's tenth anniversary in 1997, the Town signed a twinning agreement with the city of New Orleans, USA.