Belgian town twines with Canadian municipality to honor World War I soldiers

The town of Zonnebeke in West Flanders, Belgium, officially twinned with Saugeen Shores, a town on Lake Huron in Canada.

This new partnership aims to create a permanent bond between the two municipalities while supporting the international development of the Passchendaele Museum. Local residents and Canadian representatives gathered at the Crest Farm Canadian Memorial to mark the end of the Battle of Passchendaele, which took place in 1917.

Following a ceremony, people participated in a torchlight procession along Canadalaan, a street connecting Passendale with the memorial. The march retraced the final few hundred metres of the Canadian advance through the ruins of Passendale. Mayor Koen Meersseman stated that the twinning and the annual commemoration serve to keep the heritage of the war alive for future generations. Residents of Canadalaan continue a tradition of flying Canadian flags on their homes to honor the soldiers who fought for freedom.