Bill Jankola, Curt and Yuri Kutschera, Elizabeth Fleet and Emiko Ohga

Robert Maclean, Jack Colbert, Marilyn Luscombe, Bill Jankola and  Emiko Ohga

The Student Exchange Program between Castlegar and its sister city Embetsu, Japan, has been operating with great success since 1998. Three groups of Castlegar students have visited Embetsu and other parts of Japan, and two groups of Embetsu students have come to Castlegar. At the end of this week, the third group of Embetsu students will arrive.

The Student Exchange is facilitated by grants from a fund established by Mr. Mitsuo Shikano, a Japanese businessman who was born in Embetsu. Each student’s expenses are partially subsidized from the interest raised on a loan which Mr. Shikano provided in 1998. The term of the loan was to be for five years, expiring in 2003.

In February of this year, the Castlegar-Embetsu Educational Exchange Committee heard that Mr. Shikano is so pleased with the progress of the Student Exchange that he has decided to extend his loan for another five years. On Sunday, March 16th a new agreement was signed between the Selkirk College Foundation, which is the custodian of the loan, and Mr. Shikano, who was unable to be present, but was represented by Mrs. Emiko Ohga, the Chief Executive Officer of the Japan-Canada Exchange Foundation.

Marilyn Luscombe, President of Selkirk College, Delyse Syvester, the Executive Director of the Selkirk College Foundation, and Bill Jankola, the Chair of the Exchange Committee all voiced their appreciation to Mrs. Ohga, and asked her to convey messages of thanks to Mr. Shikano.