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Photo: The graves in France for six Canadian soldiers.
Prince Albert City Council has approved the Charter for a Friendship City Partnership between the Village of Thorey en Plaine, France and The City of Prince Albert.
In 2020, Thorey en Plaine requested a twin city project with the City of Prince Albert with the primary focus of honouring six Canadian Soldiers, one from Prince Albert, Mr. Jim Giles, who died in the Second World War.
Jim Giles was born in Prince Albert and lived south of the City in the Red Deer Hill area. He was one of six allied airmen who died when their plane was shot down over France in 1944. Thorey en Plaine look after the graves of these soldiers, as well as a monument at the site of the crash. Thorey en Plaine is a Village in France with a population of just over 1000 people.
A delegation from the two communities have been meeting over Zoom. They developed a joint committee and a charter. The Friendship City Partnership Committee includes the following from Prince Albert: Dennis Ogrodnick, City Councillor, City of Prince Albert; Judy MacLeod Campbell, Arts & Culture Coordinator, City of Prince Albert; Michelle Taylor, Director/Curator, Prince Albert Historical Society; Michael Gange, Board of Director, Prince Albert Historical Society & Jim Giles nephew; Soraya Ellert, Executive Director, The Société Canadienne-Francophone de Prince Albert – French Canadian Society of Prince Albert; Catharine Topping, Principal, École Valois; Brenda Cripps, Prince Albert Legion; and, Michelle Hassler, Executive Director, Prince Albert Multicultural Council.
The Charter sets out to achieve the following through this partnership: encourage and support any project started by or aimed at young people, developing human and cultural relationships, never forgetting the six Canadian and British victims of the crash in Thorey en Plaine on July 26th, 1944, perpetuating the memory of those who lost their lives for freedom, and honour the legacy of the six heroes and to keep looking after their graves and monument. Ideas for the partnership have been discussed and an elementary school exchange is being planned for the next school year.
“Thorey en Plaine is very committed to educating their young people about the history of the wars and ensuring that we never forget the sacrifices made,” said Judy MacLeod Campbell, Art & Culture Coordinator for the City of Prince Albert. “This partnership presented a unique opportunity to connect young people across oceans, preserve history, remember those who lost their lives for freedom, and share culture and language.”
This project is an initiative supported through the City Municipal Cultural Action Plan and the Community Services Advisory Committee.
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For more information contact:
Judy MacLeod Campbell
Arts & Cultural Coordinator
Community Services
306.953.4800
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