20 Years of Friendship - Stony Plain, Alberta
Posted by: 
wildwoodke
N 53° 31.740 W 114° 00.283
11U E 698522 N 5935294
This mural honours the friendship that has grown between the town of Shikaoi, Japan and the town of Stony Plain, Alberta.
Waymark Code: WMDQF0
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 02/14/2012
Views: 5
The town's website and brochure describe this mural as:
"In honour of 20 years of friendship, this mural is dedicated to the people of Stony Plain and Shikaoi, Hokkaido, Japan. Former Mayor Donna Cowan and Mayor Yoshida have been stewards of the twinning program in partnership with the public and separate school districts. Many student and adult delegations have travelled between Shikaoi and Stony Plain over the past 20 years. This mural highlights various aspects of Shikaoi's culture and lifestyle."
The mural overlooks the Japanese garden that is found on the east side of town hall. Sitting in the garden and looking at the mural one might imagine that the garden has somehow moved itself from small town Alberta to rural Japan.
According to Wikipedia: "Shikaoi (???, Shikaoi-cho?) is a town located in Kato District, Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan. The name "Shikaoi" means "Following (hunting) deer". As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 5,723 and a density of 14.52 persons per km². The total area is 399.69 km²."
See: (
visit link)
Stony Plain is described in wikipedia as: "The name of the town is known to come from two possible origins. The first is that the Stoney people camped in the area historically. The seconded possibility is Dr. James Hector, a geologist on the Palliser Expedition noticed boulders scattered across the area. ... In the 2011 Census ...the population was 15,051. With a land area of 35.61 km2 (13.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 422.66/km2 (1,094.69/sq mi). "