Mayor Bill Blesener is familiar with Canada Day.
In fact, Blesener’s town has three days set aside every August to celebrate the country. A suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota, Little Canada and its 10,000 people roll out the red and white and party like it’s north of the 49 th parallel. It’s just one of the many reasons Thunder Bay and Little Canada re-signed a sister city commitment Saturday morning.
“The whole town,” Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs said at Fort William Historical Park. “There wasn’t an American flag to be seen they were waving the Canadian flag, they’re city is named after our country and it’s just a great fit for a sister city.”
While other sister cities are signed on for economic benefits and trade opportunities, Hobbs said this one is more based on culture and friendship.
“Little Canada’s a lot more cultural than economic because we don’t’ have a lot in common trade wise but definitely culturally we do,” he said.
Blesener said he’s hoping the more than 30-year relationship can eventually find some common economic ground as well.
“We hope to do more of that also but this is just grown to be such a close relationship,” he said.
Blesener and other Little Canada officials are spending the weekend in Thunder Bay to celebrate the country’s birthday.
