(Veterans Affairs Canada)

By Jaryn Vecchio

WWII Hero

P.A. officially becoming sister cities with France community

Oct 19, 2021 | 12:09 PM

A man born in Prince Albert who died in the Second World War is being honoured by two communities thousands of miles apart.

P.A.’s city council met on Monday where they all agreed to make the village of Thorey-en-Plaine, located in eastern France, an official sister city.

The village’s cemetery is home to six Canadian soldiers, including P.A.’s own Jim Giles. The soldiers were shot down returning from a bombing mission in Germany.

Giles was just 22 when he passed away.

The pilot of his bomber squadron was the only one to survive. He was able to parachute out before the aircraft crashed in the woods on the outskirts of Thorey-en-Plaine.

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P.A. Mayor Greg Dionne said, because of Giles, the two communities have a link, unlike their previous sister city.

“The other ones that applied to us were for more economic benefits and they were more used so they could travel to our country,” he said.

Along with economics, the partnership they had with Jilin City, China was ‘discontinued’ until all the political issues between Canada and China were resolved.

P.A. also received requests from Mpohor Wass East District, Ghana, and Totogalpa, Nicaragua back in the early 2010s. They were both denied.

Judy MacLeod Campbell, arts and culture coordinator for the City of Prince Albert, spoke to paNOW earlier this month when the partnership was still not finalized.

She noted this kind of partnership will only be a positive for both communities.

“This is also a way for us to maybe share ceremonies, to just talk about it, and work with the schools and the community,” MacLeod Campbell said.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow