On 14 October 2026, the Drohobych city territorial community officially became a twin community of the Canadian Peterborough County (Province of Ontario). The partnership agreement was signed by the Mayor of Drohobych, Taras Kuchma, and the Warden of Peterborough County, Bonnie Clark.
For Drohobych, this is not only a new stage in its international relations, but also an opportunity to build structured cooperation with an entire region of Canada, expand its network of contacts and lay the foundations for joint projects in various fields.
The partnership envisages developing cooperation in education, culture, healthcare, agriculture and the agri-food sector. Particular emphasis is placed on direct contacts between institutions, organisations and businesses in the two communities, so that the inter-municipal agreement is translated into practical initiatives of real benefit to residents.
Taras Bahrii, President of the Ontario Provincial Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, played an important role in establishing this partnership. He helped to build contacts between the Ukrainian and Canadian sides, represented the Drohobych community in Canada and supported the idea of an official twinning arrangement, demonstrating the importance of the Ukrainian diaspora in developing international ties.
A distinctive feature of the agreement is that Peterborough County is a separate municipal structure comprising eight municipalities: Asphodel-Norwood, Cavan Monaghan, Douro-Dummer, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, North Kawartha, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Selwyn and Trent Lakes. At the same time, the City of Peterborough is a separate administrative unit. In this way, the Drohobych community gains access to a wider circle of potential partners in Canada.
The signing of the document is the result of lengthy work to identify partners interested in long-term cooperation and to develop so-called municipal diplomacy – direct interaction between local self-government bodies. This format makes it possible to exchange management experience, jointly seek solutions for local development and build partnerships that go beyond formal protocol meetings.
It is on these principles that the Canada-Ukraine Twin Cities Initiative is based – a Canadian-Ukrainian initiative launched in March 2022 to support partnerships between municipalities in the two countries. Its founder, Volodymyr Palahniuk, has focused on cooperation at local level, where international agreements grow into real contacts between communities, educational and cultural institutions, and entrepreneurs.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, such cooperation has taken on particular significance. Canadian communities can share their experience in local governance, the organisation of public utilities, infrastructure development and support for civic initiatives. For Ukrainian municipalities, these partnerships open access to expertise, new contacts and preparation for future reconstruction.
With the support of the Canada-Ukraine Twin Cities Initiative, 11 new twinning arrangements between Canadian and Ukrainian communities have been established since 2022. Together with nine partnerships that existed earlier or emerged independently of the Initiative, a network of 20 municipal partnerships between Canada and Ukraine has been formed. These include cooperation between Brantford and Kamianets-Podilskyi, Mississauga and Ternopil, New Westminster and Ivano-Frankivsk, and other Canadian municipalities with Ukrainian communities. The twinning of Drohobych and Peterborough County became the eleventh partnership launched specifically within this Initiative.
For the Drohobych community, the significance of the new agreement will be determined by how far it can be filled with real substance: developing contacts, launching joint projects and achieving tangible results. The signing of the document with the participation of the leadership of both communities was an important step that opens up opportunities to present Drohobych’s experience, demonstrate the community’s potential and establish dialogue with Canadian municipal leaders.
For Peterborough County, this is a chance to expand its international engagement and establish a direct link with a Ukrainian community operating under the conditions of full-scale war. The parties plan to develop cooperation in several areas: exchanges between educational institutions and students, cultural projects, cooperation in healthcare, sharing experience in local self-government, developing business contacts and joint initiatives in the agricultural sector.
The implementation of the partnership is expected to involve not only public authorities, but also educational institutions, civil society organisations and businesses. It is at this level that initiatives can emerge which will have a direct impact on the quality of life of residents in both communities.
In Drohobych, international partnerships are seen as a tool for development: an opportunity to seek new solutions, draw on the experience of other countries and build long-term ties that will be crucial during Ukraine’s post-war recovery. The agreement with Peterborough County creates a basis for such cooperation, with the next stage being the implementation of specific joint projects.
Inter-municipal cooperation does not end with the signing of documents. Its success depends on ongoing communication, the partners’ willingness to share experience, identify common priorities and work on implementing the agreements reached. The new twinning arrangement between the Drohobych community and Peterborough County is seen as the start of long-term cooperation which, over time, may grow into a series of practical initiatives and strengthen ties between Ukraine and Canada.
For Ukraine, such partnerships are particularly important in wartime and on the eve of large-scale reconstruction. This is not only about current support, but also about creating a resilient network of human, cultural, economic and institutional ties that will endure regardless of political circumstances. The Canada-Ukraine Twin Cities Initiative team sees this as the main potential of municipal diplomacy – building long-term relations between communities based on shared interests, trust and a willingness to work together.
This material is based on an article by Taras Bahrii.