Belleville closes Cultural Exchange committee, reducing public oversight into exchange activities

Belleville Cultural Exchange Committee was discontinued on October 27, 2025.

Since the start of the current term of Council in November 2022, the Cultural Exchange Committee met once in February 2023.

The activities historically undertaken by the Cultural Exchange Committee have transitioned to city staff to complete. The mayor and clerk have discussed how to proceed with the Cultural Exchange Committee now that staff handle the activities

Given that staff now undertake the activities previously handled by the Cultural Exchange Committee, and the fact that the Committee has met once during this term of Council, it is recommended that the Cultural Exchange Committee be discontinued

City Clerk Doug Irwin

the last cultural exchanges have been run out of the mayor’s office and the CAO’s office rather than the committee and that’s how we want to do it moving forward

Mayor Neil Ellis

Ellis made it clear during each exchange in recent years that city officials paid their own freight including air travel tickets and expenses whilst abroad saving city taxpayers unnecessary costs.

The Intelligencer