Hamilton mayor turns sod for new Belgium park

The Belgium city of Ieper will boast a bit of Hamilton in the future. Hamilton mayor Andrew King was hosted in Ieper (Ypres) by dignitaries at a sod-turning event for a new park in the city. The new park in Ieper will carry Hamilton’s name in a reciprocation of Hamilton City Council’s development of the Ieper Garden at Memorial Park, adjacent to the Waikato River. King planted New Zealand native trees. ‘‘Hamilton and Ieper have a strong official relationship which now stretches back more than a decade,’’ King said. ‘‘We are very grateful to generations of Ieper residents and officials who have so carefully cared for our soldiers here in their final resting place.’’