Richmond Hill twins with Israeli city of Netanya

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 22, 2016
By Kim Zarzour

The Town of Richmond Hill has a new twin.

Mayor Dave Barrow, who is leading a trade mission to Israel this week, signed the twinning agreement with Miriam Fierberg-Ikar, mayor of the City of Netanya, Nov. 22.

It is the third city to be twinned with Richmond Hill. Similar partnerships exist with Lakeland, Florida and Shijiazhuang, China.

Barrow hopes the new partnership will facilitate the exchange of information and ideas related to culture, youth, heritage and sport, encourage exchange visits by the citizens of both communities, develop tourism initiatives and promote economic and business ties.

Prior to the signing, the mayor and delegates met with Israeli business leaders during one-on-one meetings at the Poleg Industrial Park; home to some of the biggest technology companies in Israel including Cisco, HP and Cellcom, the largest telecommunications company in Israel.

Accompanying the mayor are Deputy Mayor Vito Spatafora, Richmond Hill Economic Development staff and local business leaders.

The nine-day mission will include visits to key technology regions including; Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya, Ra’anana and Misgav.

Developing strong ties with other high-tech communities is significant for Richmond Hill and Netanya, Barrow said.

“Both regions are leaders in the high-tech sector and this agreement will support our businesses to compete on a global scale.”

The town has engaged companies in Netanya who have plans to set up offices in Richmond Hill, he said, and is providing them with the assistance they need to make a smooth transition.

Yesterday, the Mayor and delegates attended meetings in Matam Park, the largest and oldest high-tech business park in Israel. Heartbeat Technologies, located in Matam Haifa, has already set up an office in Richmond Hill and is conducting pilot projects with local hospitals including - Baycrest Health Sciences and Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Other business will be taking place in business meetings with the Chief Scientist’s Office Nov. 24, as part of the town’s efforts to expand Richmond Hill’s leadership position in the health/life sciences and technology sectors, Barrow said.

“Israel is a high-tech nation and boasts a vibrant, modern economy. We are both sharply focused on developing strong, competitive business environments that support innovation and growth.”