A wonderful evening with our Uji friends

Canada Day is such a special day. This morning, I’m enjoying looking over the photos our Daily News readers have been sending in of their experiences from yesterday.

Syd and I had a wonderful time last night at a City dinner for the delegation from Uji, our Japan sister city. Mayor Kubota and councillors Fujita Minoru and Asami Kenji accompanied the large delegation, renewing many friendships.

Mayor Peter Milobar presided, and it was great to have former mayors Cliff Branchflower and Terry Lake there as well; former City administrator Joe Martignago came up to attend, too. In fact, the room was full of people — both from Kamloops and Uji — who have been part of the Kamloops-Uji relationship during the past 20 years.

Mayor Kubota is a warm, gregarious man with a ready smile and an infectious laugh. He jokingly noted that during the 10-plus years he’s been mayor, Kamloops has had four mayors, but he declined to reveal the secret of political longevity. As it’s been many years since a Kamloops mayor has left office due to a defeat at the polls, maybe we just wear them out a lot quicker than they do in Uji. By the way, when he’s at home in Uji, Mayor Kubota keeps up to speed via The Daily News on what’s going on in Kamloops. 

Thanks to Kamloops First Lady Lianne Milobar for taking the photo that appears in this blog. That’s Coun. Fujita on the left and Mayor Kubota on the right.

We’re looking forward to another  dinner for the delegation this evening with the Kamloops Japanese-Canadian Association.