Sister Cities International, an organization that helps cities pair up, explains that sister cities share certain characteristics in common, such as similar geography and population size. Sister cities also typically share common values, interests and industries. But sometimes, the similarity can be as simple as sharing the same city name (e.g., Toledo, Spain and Toledo, Ohio are sister cities). Other times, an affinity between two towns can build itself up quite whimsically (e.g., an Old West theme park owner near Imaichi, Japan was the force behind the city's partnership with Rapid City, South Dakota because he saw Dancing With Wolves, a film shot in Rapid City, and he loved it so much, he wanted a full-blown partnership).
But every pairing has a different rhyme and reason, and each sister city has it own rapprochement story. And these alliances often take years to solidify, as communities court each other with declarations of cooperation, declarations of intentions of friendship and other confusing statements that infer varying levels of commitment and engagement.
Regardless of how they're formed, a few wonder why they're formed at all. Some critics question the usefulness of such partnerships, suggesting they're merely an excuse for elected officials to travel at the expense of taxpayers, engaging in ceremonial navel-gazing that results in a superficial effect on economic development, if any. Others see twin town agreements as a positive gesture of friendship, a long-term relationship-building effort that will hopefully lead to future development and cooperation in the context of a globalized economy.
Now, find out more about Montreal's sister cities.
