Grand Rapids and Vaughan officially join as Sister Cities, opening doors to cross‑border collaboration
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich – Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand and Vaughan, Ontario Mayor Steven Del Duca have signed an agreement officially creating a new Sister City partnership between the two communities. The signing took place May 7 at Vaughan City Hall during a special ceremony that also celebrated the shared economic strengths and regional connectivity linking both cities.
This Sister City Agreement establishes a strategic economic and cultural partnership designed to strengthen cross‑border collaboration, economic development and cultural exchange. The agreement also connects Grand Rapids to the broader Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Region – one of the world’s most significant integrated economic areas, generating more than $8 trillion in Gross Domestic Product. By formalizing this partnership, both cities reinforce their roles within a region recognized for its interconnected industries, infrastructure and supply chains.
Following an initial meeting with City of Vaughan representatives, a Canadian Inquiry Committee was formed through Grand Rapids Sister Cities International to study the opportunity and build a business case. Delegations from each city visited one another in 2025 to learn more and share ideas. The partnership builds on these staff‑to‑staff exchanges, leadership meetings, and the formal endorsement of Grand Rapids Sister Cities International. Both the Grand Rapids City Commission and Vaughan City Council voted to approve the partnership. The final signing ceremony in Vaughan completes the formal process and moves both cities into a new implementation phase.
Vaughan is a fast‑growing city in Ontario’s York Region, just north of Toronto, with a population more than 344,412. The city features major attractions such as Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughan Mills and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. The city is home to more than 19,500 businesses and 227,000 employees, with robust regional transit connections, access to major highways, and the only subway service outside of Toronto. Vaughan is recognized as a top 20 destination for investment in Canada and consistently ranks amongst the top places to live.
In addition to shared cultural and community strengths, both cities have strong foundations in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, food processing and the creative industries. The new partnership will promote knowledge exchange, business‑to‑business engagement, supplier matchmaking and cooperation across shared industries and supply chains. It also aligns with shared city‑building priorities, including innovation, public art and inclusive community development.
“What stands out about Vaughan is how much we have in common,” Grand Rapids Mayor LaGrand said. “Both of our cities are growing, welcoming and investing in arts, culture and quality of life, and we share a strong commitment to innovation, economic opportunity and cultural vitality. At the same time, we each bring unique strengths – from Vaughan’s access to the Toronto region to our leadership in health care and advanced manufacturing. This Sister City Agreement creates meaningful ways for our communities to collaborate and opens real opportunities for our residents, students, artists and businesses to connect and learn from one another. I look forward to building strong connections and advancing initiatives that benefit both cities.”
“It was a truly special day to welcome City of Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand and City Manager Mark Washington to Vaughan City Hall as we formally embark on a Sister City partnership,” Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca said. “This agreement marks an important milestone for Vaughan as we strengthen our connections across the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Region. I am thrilled to work alongside the City of Grand Rapids, its Mayor and its leadership team, and we look forward to establishing strong, ongoing lines of communication to support collaboration at every level. By partnering with Grand Rapids, we are opening new doors for economic collaboration, innovation and cultural exchange that will benefit businesses, residents and institutions in both cities. The City of Vaughan is proud to enter this partnership and excited about the meaningful work ahead as we build a strong, future focused relationship together.”
Washington highlighted the practical significance of the new partnership for both municipal organizations.
“Upon beginning my tenure as Grand Rapids city manager, I recognized the importance of bolstering our international appeal and North American presence. Formally connecting with a Canadian community was an essential step in that strategy.
"This Sister City Agreement with the City of Vaughan establishes a robust framework for collaboration between our two organizations. Vaughan’s strategic connection to key industries in the Greater Toronto Metropolitan Area and their commitment to sub-national diplomacy, smart growth, economic development and innovation, provides a wealth of knowledge-sharing opportunities. We believe stakeholder and staff collaboration from both communities will be mutually beneficial as we learn from one another and work together to advance our shared goals.”
Vaughan City Manager Zoran Postic shared the City’s vision for collaboration.
“The City of Vaughan is proud to enter into this Sister City partnership with the City of Grand Rapids. Both cities share strong foundations in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, food processing and the creative industries, and this agreement creates new opportunities to strengthen connections across our business, workforce and cultural sectors. I look forward to close collaboration between our staff teams as we advance shared priorities, exchange knowledge and build a productive, long‑term partnership.”
Grand Rapids Sister Cities President Katherine Lee Baker said that Vaughan co-chairs Sasha Ahmed and Molly Grimes helped make this integral relationship possible. She also noted that both cities share diverse and highly educated populations, strong post‑secondary pipelines, creative economies and major investments in arts and tourism.
“Vaughan brings the energy of a major tourism hub with easy access to the whole Toronto region, while Grand Rapids contributes its strengths in health care, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and design,” Baker said. “When you put those together, you get two cities with complementary strengths that can learn from each other and create great opportunities for collaboration and exchange, which is exactly why we pursued this Sister Cities partnership.”
Planned initiatives outlined in the new agreement include annual business missions, an economic gateway program, and a joint working group focused on economic collaboration and cultural exchange. Other possible activities include public art initiatives, workforce and talent exchanges and joint city‑building projects. These programs support goals such as investment attraction, export growth and international collaboration—key priorities for both communities.
Cross‑border municipal partnerships like this one are recognized as best practices across North America for strengthening economic ties and improving supply chain resiliency. The Grand Rapids–Vaughan partnership builds on successful regional models such as Windsor–Detroit and Toronto–Chicago, further reinforcing the integrated economic landscape of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Region.
The new Sister City relationship will support:
- Citizen diplomacy that helps residents connect across borders
- Economic development opportunities between two globally connected regions
- Student and artist exchanges that build cross‑cultural understanding
- Sports diplomacy and youth activities
- People‑to‑people relationships that strengthen goodwill over time
These efforts support a shared vision of cultural understanding, economic growth, educational exchange and long‑term collaboration. With the agreement now in place, both cities will finalize a detailed work plan and begin implementing partnership activities, supported by ongoing communication, exchange visits and sustained relationship‑building.
With Vaughan added, Grand Rapids now has seven Sister Cities:
- Bielsko‑Biała, Poland
- Ga District (Ga East & Ga West), Ghana
- Gangnam‑gu, Seoul, South Korea
- Ōmihachiman, Japan
- Perugia, Italy
- Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
- Zapopan, Mexico
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