Cross-border relationships are strained — but this town is forging a bond with a U.S. city by the same name
The Town of Tecumseh, Ont., and its sister city, Tecumseh, Mich., both hope the long running tradition of the Tecumseh Corn Festival will serve as a focal point for this diplomatic overture.
Coun. James Dorner, who represents ward 2, says there used to be a stronger connection with Tecumseh, Mich., tied to the corn festival, which will mark its 49th anniversary this year.
"In the past, [organizers] used to invite delegates from Tecumseh, Mich., over, and the last time we had them over was nine years ago in 2016," Dorner said on Windsor Morning.
The Optimist Club, with which Dorner volunteers, has been running the festival for three years, "and they're looking to bring back some of these older traditions."
According to Dorner, the organizers started looking at the Tecumseh, Mich., council and Dorner said "eerily," one of the councillors there [Austin See] "had way too much in common for it to be a coincidence.
"We were both in the military, he was in the U.S. Marine Corps, I was in our armed forces, we had the same trade — combat engineers — so we did the exact same job. He deployed to Iraq, I went to Afghanistan, and then we both got on council and were around the same age."
'We're all very excited'
Dorner said reached out to See "almost instantly" and they've been talking ever since.
"Austin and I have spoken on the phone a few times [and] I'm going there this weekend," Dorner said.
"He mentioned that there's a Sand Sculpture Festival … happening, but he's told a lot of their council and administration about me coming over and they're just thrilled to have me. We're all very excited."
Like Dorner, See said there was "instant connection" between them.
"James and I immediately connected, just from our backgrounds as combat engineer veterans, the fact that we're younger council members in both cities of Tecumseh, [and] our personalities really mesh well together," See told CBC Windsor.
"Our first phone call lasted four hours, there was so much to talk about. I felt like I was talking to myself for four hours."
See said he's really looking forward to the Tecumseh Corn Festival, and he "can't wait to show [Dorner] this weekend all the cool things that we do for this Sand Sculpture Festival."
See said he loves the initiative to reignite the relationship between the two Tecumsehs.
"Canadians and Americans, we need to continue to look at each other as brothers and sisters, like we're family," See said.
The Tecumseh Corn and Music Festival will be held Aug. 22 to 24 at McAuliffe Park.
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