Myrtle Beach S.C. and Burlington ON has 20 year Friendship

By Pam Belgrade, Burlington Tourism

March 16th, 2011

What does Myrtle Beach South Carolina and Burlington Ontario have in common?  Well besides both being on the water, having a beach and being beautiful places to visit, these two cities have had a friendship that has spanned 20 years. 

This friendship began with Burlington's Teen Tour Band performing in Myrtle Beach annually during Canadian American Days from the late 1970's to the late 90's.  As a result of these visits, the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce approached the City of Burlington to more formally recognize this relationship.  On March 11, 1991 Burlington's Mayor Roly Bird visited Myrtle Beach and signed a Declaration of Friendship with Mayor Robert Grissom, the Mayor of Myrtle Beach.
 
Over the years, this friendship has focused primarily on sport and youth exchanges.   Myrtle Beach has sent athletes to participate in the Burlington International Games (BIG) and have brought VIP's to participate in the Sound of Music Festival Grande Parade and activities.  The local tourism agencies have worked together to cross market our cities by setting up information booths at one another's events and posting information on websites.  Myrtle Beach has also sponsored various local Burlington events including the Mayor's and the Teen Tour Band Booster's golf tournaments.  This year they supported the Taste of Burlington, a popular fixed price dining program by sending a chef from Myrtle Beach to the media launch and by providing a trip draw prize for diners.
 
This week (March 2011)Myrtle Beach is celebrating their 50th anniversary of Canadian-American Days and the Teen Tour Band along with Burlington's Top Hat Marching Orchestra and No Strings Attached are performing during these celebrations.  "Canada's Musical Ambassadors" as the Teen Tour Band is known, took first place in the North Myrtle Beach St. Patrick's Day parade during this week's activities.
 
With over 500,000 Canadians travelling to South Carolina each year, many Burlington residents have bookmarked Myrtle Beach as one of their favourites.  In recent years with more direct flights to Myrtle Beach from Toronto and Niagara we hope to entertain more of our southern friends in the 3rd Best City to Live in Canada!  Our two cities have shared a long and prosperous friendship which will continue to grow in the future.

Pam Belgrade, Executive Director
Tourism Burlington
414 Locust Street, Burlington, ON  L7S 1T7
P: 905.634.5594 ext. 7241  Toll Free: 1.877.499.9989 F: 905.634.7220
belgradep@burlington.ca www.tourismburlington.com