A small delegation from Cold Lake’s sister city of Hügelsheim, Germany, came to visit last week.
Bürgermeisterin (mayor) Kerstin Cee was among the visitors. It was her first visit to Canada, and she came away impressed.
“The oil fields tour at Imperial was very nice and very interesting. The cruise on the lake, the museum. Just the nature—everything is totally different from in Germany,” Cee said.
Hügelsheim is the community nearest the former Canadian Forces Base Baden-Söllingen. Many air force personnel who served in Cold Lake also had postings to Baden, and many of them lived in the town rather than on base.
There are many enduring friendships and even families that were formed during that time, and the “sister city” relationship between the two communities testifies to the bond of that friendship.
The Canadian government closed CFB Baden-Söllingen in 1993. Some of the base’s recreational amenities are still in use including a golf course and curling club, and of course a hockey rink.
Cee participated in Cold Lake’s Canada Day parade wearing the jersey of their local hockey team, Baden Rhinos Hügelsheim.
She sees the friendship between communities as an opportunity to learn more about each other’s culture.
“You can learn another culture from people. We can learn from each other and profit from each other,”
Cee said. She suggested there might be a benefit to encouraging study programs or even exchanges for school students.
“There is a big connection between the people,” she said.
