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What makes a Sister City?

The Editor, Xiamen has a population of 3,531,347 inhabitants, almost 1.8 times the population counted for the last census in 2000 (which was of 2,053,070 inhabitants).

The Editor,

Xiamen has a population of 3,531,347 inhabitants, almost 1.8 times the population counted for the last census in 2000 (which was of 2,053,070 inhabitants). This growth rate will soon make it a sister province better suited for all of Western Canada.

Pierrefonds was a city on the Island of Montreal. It ceased to exist on Jan. 1, 2002. The city was located along the Rivière des Prairies at the western end of the island. Its final population was 54,963 which might have been comparable to Richmond 45 years ago.

So Pierrefonds is a "sister non-city," which once had a population about one quarter that of Richmond. Xiamen is a proposed "sister metropolis" with a population 17 times greater than Richmond's. Exactly what are the standards to which a prospective sister city measure in order to qualify to have our councillors deign to visit them at taxpayers' expense?

The sister city organization's mission is to "promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation - one individual, one community at a time." Wonderful rhetoric, but no specifics and no accountability.

The way Richmond council handles the subject, with their closed door meetings, communication by press release, arbitrary 56 per cent budget increase to $234,410 and the overall lack of transparency makes it seem more like they are planning a secret, stay-up-all-night weekend slumber party.

Cities in India, Korea, the Philippines and Netherlands are all being considered as new sister cities for Richmond.

If the mayor and councillors have such a pressing need to be a big sister, why not bond with Port au Prince, Haiti which is located on an island, suffered a devastating earthquake and needs...everything?

Abyei, South Sudan has a population and could use some understanding. Grozny, Chechnya has a population, a mayor and a council and they need peace. Those sisters might make for interesting sleepovers and photo opportunities.

Reinhard Pekarek Richmond