The Canadian Urban Institute has an international partnership program that partners with city planners and bureaucrats around the world. This past Friday (June 5), Roncesvalles Village hosted a delegation of Ethiopian city planners from Addis Ababa who wanted to learn about our community development activities. (You can read about the project here: http://www.international.canurb.com/ethiopia.php ) They met with Andrew Chomentowski, Vice Chair of the Roncesvalles Village BIA and coordinator Keith Denning. In addition the visit included discussions with Kevin Healey of the Roncesvalles-MacDonnell Residents’ Association and Doug Bennet of the Build Wabash Society.

We met the delegation at the Sorauren Field House, where we discussed how BIAs work, how they are structured, what they can do for businesses and neighbourhoods, and how they connect to the city.

Andrew and Keith then took the visitors on a tour of Roncesvalles Village, hosted a Polish lunch at Bistro 299, and enjoyed a great pot of Rwandan coffee from Alternative Grounds. The delegates received RVBIA shopping bags which it is hoped they will use while shopping in Addis Ababa.

The RVBIA is honoured by their visit, proud to show off our neighbourhood, and pleased that Roncesvalles Village was chosen as a leading example of a community that works well for businesses and residents.