Having twinned in 1980, Alberta and Hokkaido celebrated their 45
th Anniversary in 2025. A delegation from the Alberta Provincial Government including Premier Danielle Smith traveled to Hokkaido in April, followed by a reciprocal visit by the a delegation from the Hokkaido Prefectural Government to Alberta in May. Together, representatives from both parties reminisced about a successful relationship and confirmed their mutual commitment to renew their ties.
On May 23
rd , Consul-General Wajima attended the luncheon hosted by Her Honour the Honourable Salma Lakhani to celebrate the 45
th anniversary. Below is an overview of the reciprocal visits between Hokkaido and Alberta held in commemoration of this milestone.
Premier Danielle Smith visits Hokkaido
Alberta Premier Danille Smith visited Hokkaido in April—the fist visit by an Alberta Premier in 42 years. During her stay, she met with the Governor of Hokkaido and the Chair of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly, as well as participated in a round table discussion among sports, agriculture, and museum dignitaries who have long contributed to the twinning relationship, joined by representatives from startups who may help to deepen connections.
Alberta welcomes Hokkaido Delegation
In May 2025, the Alberta Government welcomed a delegation led by Vice Governor Hamasaki.
Visit from Hokkaido Government and Signing Ceremony for the Declaration of Promotion of Friendly Exchanges
At the Alberta government building, the Hokkaido delegation paid a courtesy call to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Safety and Crisis Management, Mike Ellis. They agreed to create opportunities for information sharing and exchange of views to develop concrete opportunities for new economic exchanges, which Premier Smith also expressed great interest in.
Furthermore, they signed the "Declaration for the Promotion of Friendly Exchanges," which they have been signing every five years since the sister-city agreement was established in 1980. This declaration reflected on past exchanges and confirmed the active involvement of both regions in further developing exchanges.
45th Anniversary Seminar
Hokkaido and Alberta co-hosted a commemorative seminar, where Hokkaido was introduced to executives from relevant government departments, as well as representatives from the University of Alberta and local Alberta economic organizations, providing an overview of Hokkaido and the latest information on tourism and the GX (Geographic Exchange) sector, thereby promoting Hokkaido. The Alberta provincial government also gave presentations on decarbonization and tourism, exploring possibilities for further collaboration and exchange.
Museum Exchange Memorandum Renewal Ceremony and Sports Exchange Resumption Commemorative Event
At the Royal Alberta Museum, an event was held to commemorate the renewal of the "Memorandum of Understanding on Friendship" between the Hokkaido Museum and the Royal Alberta Museum, as well as the signing of an agreement between the Hokkaido Sports Association and the Province of Alberta in January 2025 to resume friendly sports exchanges. A commemorative delegation also celebrated the continuation of museum exchanges and the resumption of sports exchanges.
Intergovernmental Exchange
The Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and the Alberta Legislature signed an "Agreement on Exchanges between the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and the Alberta Legislature" in March 2021. During this visit, the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly met with the newly elected Speaker and former Speaker of the Legislature the week before the visit, and attended a dinner reception hosted by the Legislature, deepening exchanges with the current and former Speakers and attending members of the government.
