May 2015: the Dutch celebrate 70 Years of Freedom

[Hanno Spoelstra]

I had the honour of participating in the Street Parade for Canadian Veterans in Apeldoorn on 9 May 2015. My friend and MLU member Jakob brought over his two 3-tonners, an F60L and an C60L. I helped with loading and unloading the veterans, giving me the opportunity to talk to some of the soldiers who liberated our country.

Hanno

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

It was a memorable experience, for both the veterans as well as the public lining the streets in great numbers. The history of WW2 is very much alive in The Netherlands!

Watch this short clip to hear the enthusiastic crowd: https://youtu.be/teGjsP1x8mo

The people were handing the veterans flowers, cards, drinks, letters, etc. They were not there to have a look at the parade, they were really there to say "Thank You!". It did not went unnoticed by the veterans, many of them never having been back before during the past 70 years. Even those who had been in parades like this before were impressed and would not have wanted to miss it for the world.

Hanno

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[David Dunlop]

A little bit of old local Winnipeg history you might find interesting, tied to this theme.

Back in the 1950's every Spring, when I was a child, the family used to make a point of visiting the Hudson's Bay Company store on Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg, where for one week, the entire Main Floor sales area was decorated with 10's of thousands of fresh cut spring flowers. Tulips, Daffodills, Hyacinthe, you name it. They were everywhere and topped up/changed daily as needed. It was a positively fantastic riot of colours and fragrances and by the end of the week the perfume filled the entire store top to bottom.

This was back in the day pre A/C, when all the elevators were staffed with operators dressed immaculately in crisp uniforms, wearing gloves and the inner door of the elevator was polished brass cagework. Each floor the operator used to call out what was to be found on that floor and there was a little fold down stool on the side wall near the operator's controls they could sit on as needed.

On one of the upper floors there was a grand dining room called the Georgian Room and for the week in question, there were a pair of tables set up either side the main entrance staffed by two girls on each side in traditional Dutch costume. The tables were filled with free biscuits, which I recall were 'huge' to a small child, rectangular shaped, thick and tasted delightfully of ginger. Looked like they were pressed from a mold as they all seemed identical and I think may have had a windmill motif, or something 'Dutch' on them. Always used to ask for two, one to eat in the store and one to take home for later.

I recall my parents and Grandparents saying the whole week of flowers and snacks was a thank you from Holland, for their liberation. Totally over my head back then. I just loved the outing and the snacks.

Thought I'd share.


David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks David! Great to hear the bond between Holland and Canada is a long-lasting one.

The biscuits must have been speculaas.

Hanno

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[David Dunlop]

Spot on with the biscuits, Hanno. I can close my eyes and almost smell them!


David