This year is the 80th anniversary of when the Netherlands were liberated from Nazi occupation, thanks to the efforts of thousands of Canadian soldiers.
Pieter Koeleman and other locals of Dutch ancestry have not forgotten their sacrifice, and every five years they hold a special ceremony on May 5 at the downtown cenotaph.
“Canadian armed forces played a significant and decisive role in liberating the Netherlands from this horrible occupation,” he says. “We know very well that thousands of Canadians gave their lives for our freedom.”
Koeleman and the rest of his committee have been marking the occasion for decades in Campbell River, holding a special ceremony every five years except in 2020, when it was cancelled because of the pandemic.
He recently spoke to city council about the plans for this year’s event.
On May 5 they will be at the cenotaph at 8 am for a flag-raising. There will be another flag-raising at city hall at 10 am.
At 6 pm, there will be a parade from the Legion to the cenotaph, where ceremonies will begin at 6:30 pm and run to 7:30 pm. All are welcome to attend.
May 5 is an official holiday in the Netherlands and Dutch Heritage Day in Canada.
