Town of Cobourg Hosts Sri Lankan Delegation

Cobourg, ON (April 28, 2026) – The Town of Cobourg was pleased to welcome a delegation from Sri Lanka from April 23-24 as part of its ongoing commitment to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Partnerships for Municipal Innovation — Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) project.

The Sri Lanka delegates included elected officials, municipal secretaries, technical officers and coordinators from several Sri Lankan regions currently implementing community projects such as accessible parks, sanitation facilities, markets and drinking water systems. The delegation visited the City of Kitchener and the Town of Cobourg, furthering an ongoing partnership and knowledge sharing between the communities.

As an official welcome to the Town of Cobourg, the delegation was received outside Victoria Hall by members of Cobourg Council and Alderville First Nation Chief Taynar Simpson. The ceremony included a prayer and drumming led by two members of Alderville First Nation. The Sri Lankan flag was raised, and the country’s national anthem was performed by the Cobourg Concert Band, followed by the Canadian national anthem.

 

The delegation also participated in a Special Council Meeting and visited several municipal facilities with a focus on peer learning.

The PMI-WILL program, initiated in 2021, involves five countries (Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Zambia, and Sri Lanka) and is designed to strengthen women’s participation in local government and support gender-responsive service delivery, and is fully funded through Global Affairs Canada, organized through FCM on program delivery.

“This partnership has provided an invaluable opportunity for the Town of Cobourg to both share our local expertise and gain new perspectives from global peers,” said CAO Tracey Vaughan. “The exchange of ideas has strengthened our capacity to lead with inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation.”

About Partnerships for Municipal Innovation — Women in Local Leadership
Since 2022, the Town of Cobourg, together with other Canadian municipalities, has taken part in five collaborative, peer-to-peer exchanges, with local government partners. These exchanges focus on shared learning around public participation, mentoring and leadership, and gender-responsive programming and services.

The PMI-WILL project has included training-of-trainers, and capacity building and joint workshops in Sri Lanka developed in collaboration with municipal staff. Sri Lanka held its first election in seven years on May 6, 2025, with more than 17 million voters electing representatives to 339 local bodies under a mixed-member proportional system.

Throughout the program, staff and elected officials have participated in delegations and exchanges in both countries, strengthening relationships and deepening understanding of local governance approaches across different contexts. Expenses related to this project are funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by FCM.

Strategic Priorities
The Town of Cobourg’s participation in PMI-WILL aligns with the corporation’s Strategic Plan priorities:

• Thriving Town: Supporting community leadership and fostering engagement in governance.
• Service Excellence: Strengthening accountable and transparent governance practices.
• Sustainability: Enhancing partnerships and knowledge exchange to build long-term municipal leadership capacity.

Outstanding Institutional Contribution Award
In 2024 the Town of Cobourg received the Outstanding Institutional Contribution Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for its involvement in the Partnerships for Municipal Innovation - Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) project. Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty and Director of Legislative Service, Brent Larmer received the award at the 2025 FCM Annual Conference.

For additional information about the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the PMI-WILL project visit https://fcm.ca/en.