A Harrogate rugby team has visited Canada as part of a town winning scheme.

Players from Harrogate Rugby Club’s under-16s visited Barrie in Ontario, where they were given a tour and even appeared on local television.

The city was twinned with Harrogate in 2013.

Sir Robert Barrie was a Royal Navy officer who fought against the USA in the 19th century and is buried in the Harrogate district.

He then took up a post in Ontario, Canada, to inspect a key trading route called the Nine Mile Portage. He settled there, calling it “one of the most beautiful places on earth”. In 1833 the area was renamed in his honour.

The Harrogate rugby side, which included students from Harrogate Grammar School and Ashville College, embarked on the nine-day tour in July.

Read more: 

• Historic link between Canada and Harrogate celebrated
• New Harrogate ‘café’ to support communication after stroke and brain injury

The tour was sponsored by Harrogate International Partnerships and included matches which saw Harrogate run out victorious.

Harrogate coach, Ralph Zoing, described the games as “competitive, but played in an excellent spirit”.

Harrogate Rugby Club raising the Yorkshire flag in Barrie, Ontario.

The team also raised a Yorkshire flag in Barrie during Yorkshire Day on August 1.

Dennis Richards, chair of Harrogate International Partnerships, said the visit was a success.

“Twinning works best through community groups, sport and music being prime examples. 

“The success of this trip should inspire many others in years to come.”

A civic reception was also held by Alex Nuttall, mayor of Barrie, as part of the Harrogate club’s visit.

Mr Nuttall said:

“These young men were excellent ambassadors for Harrogate and their rugby club. 

“They were a delight to host and strengthened a rapidly developing link between our two towns. Both towns have so much to offer each other”

A reciprocal visit is planned to take place in 2024.

Twinned

Barrie was twinned with Harrogate in 2013 at the suggestion of local aristocrat Sir Thomas Ingilby.

Sir Robert married Sir Thomas’s ancestor, Julia Wharton Ingilby, in 1816.

In mid-1834, Barrie returned to England and King William IV made him a knight commander of the Royal Guelphic Order. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1837 and knight commander of the Order of the Bath in 1840.

Barrie retired in Swarthdale, Lancashire and was buried at All Saints Church in Ripley in 1841.

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens has unveiled a new flower bed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its twinning with the town of Barrie in Canada.

The beds will be made up of 3,750 flowers, primarily petunias and begonias in a variety of colours.

The unveiling will coincide with Barrie Day, a holiday celebrated across Canada.

Sir Robert Barrie, the town’s namesake, was married to Julia Wharton Ingilby of Ripley Castle. Both are buried in the family vault at All Saints’ church in Ripley. Barrie was a naval officer instrumental in keeping Canada from joining America in 1812.

Former mayor of Harrogate and trustee of Harrogate international partnerships, Michael Newby,  who is set to visit Barrie, said:

“I am delighted to be going to Barrie to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our relationship, having been the mayor who signed the twinning agreement on behalf of Harrogate.”

Part of the New Zealand flower bed section, as Harrogate is also twinned with Wellington the capital.

 Read more: 

• Valley Gardens ceremony to mark Harrogate’s 70 years of links with New Zealand
• New canopy and benches installed in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

The chair of Harrogate International Partnerships has called for damaged statues in the town’s Valley Gardens to be removed.

Vandals ripped out chunks of wood from the Kiwi bird and the carved Maori bench in the New Zealand garden section of Valley Gardens last year.

Dennis Richards, chair of the HIP, a charity that supports twinning groups, told the Stray Ferret the sculptures needed to be removed in order for the charity to come up with proposals to replace them.

The section of Valley Gardens commemorates Harrogate’s twinning with Wellington and the country’s airmen being stationed in the town during World War Two.

However, Mr Richards said the council needed to remove the statues. It follows concern about the condition of them ahead of a visit to Wellington by the HIP.

He said:

“All we are asking for is the wooden statues to be removed forthwith. That is what is causing this disconnect.”

Mr Richard added that once the structures are removed, the HIP will put forward proposals with what could replace them.

Read more:

• How can Harrogate achieve a net-zero carbon economy?
• State of Harrogate’s New Zealand gardens ‘dishonours’ airmen

Last week, Kate Spencer, the HIP’s representative who has travelled to New Zealand as part of the twinning arrangement, raised concern that the conditions “dishonoured” the airmen commemorated in the gardens.

Valley Gardens development plan

Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement previously that the sculptures had “already started to rot independent of any vandalism that has taken place”.

It added:

“We would welcome any support or fundraising ideas from Harrogate International Partnership for the replacement of these with something more sustainable and robust for the location.

“Equally if there is anyone who would like to help with maintenance of the space we would be happy to arrange volunteering sessions in conjunctions with our own team or the Friends of Valley Gardens who provide fantastic support in maintaining this space.

“More widely we are in the process of agreeing a Valley Gardens development plan to continue to improve these spaces over the coming years.”

The garden dates back to 1954 and chainsaw sculptor Mick Burns carved the Marlin, Kiwi, and bench in 2010.