The “Thank you Canada” tour for WWII veterans and their wives.
Written by Merle Hopper
When we signed up with the travel agency in Ontario we had some choices of different tours to go on before we went to Holland. Our first choice was the three-day tour of London, England and were taken by bus to see the Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Canterbury, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. We found all of them very beautiful and interesting. Then we traveled by bus through the Chunnel and into France. In Paris we were taken on the second bus tour. We enjoyed seeing the Eiffel Tower, Champ d’ Lisse, Napoleon’s Tomb, the statue of The Great Thinker, Notre Dame Cathedral and Chateau de Versailles Palace. In the evening we were taken on a boat cruise on the Seine River. On the way from Paris to Holland we stopped at Vimy Ridge to see and admire the huge monument placed there on the Ridge during World War II.
All the veterans and their wives were taken to the Canadian Club in Apeldoorn where they received the official Welcome to Holland from the president of the Welcoming Committee. Later all the veterans and wives were taken to their assigned hotels or host homes. Our first bus trip in Holland was to the Keukenhof flower gardens and lucky for us the tulips and other flowers were in full bloom and gorgeous to see. From there we were taken to a huge hall in Amsterdam where we were entertained and fed buffet style. Four young cadets lowered themselves from the ceiling on ropes down to the floor carrying a British flag, Dutch flag, Canadian flag and American flag. The Minister of Veterans Affairs of Canada gave an excellent speech. He thanked Holland for inviting the veterans and their wives to the celebration.
In Apeldoorn we were invited to the Randirode Nursing Home where we shook hands with the patients then enjoyed a delicious meal. For our next trip we were taken by army jeeps and trucks into Apeldoorn and waved at the hundreds of Dutch men, women and children who were lined up on each side of the street. They were waving Canadian flags and holding signs which said “Thank you Canada” and “Thank you Liberators”. All ages of Dutch people held up their hands for us to shake and just touch.
Another trip was to the huge war memorial cemetery at Groesbeek. This is where many high officials placed wreaths at the monument. One very special person was Princess Juliana who was escorted by four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers in full dress. People were allowed to stroll up and down the rows of crosses and headstones. There were several headstones with 18 and 19 year old boys’ names on them.
Our last huge gathering was the final parade in Apeldoorn. Most of the veterans walked and received hugs, kisses, gifts and cards from Dutch people along the parade route. Others not able to walk were driven in army vehicles in the parade. Everyone gathered at the Canadian Club, found their transportation and left for their hotels and host home.
After experiencing the friendliness, gratitude and praise from the Dutch people, we all felt very proud of being Canadian.
A note from Judy: My mom was famous for keep journals of their travels. This is just one of them. Both Dan parents and my parents experienced this trip together. It was great that they could do this together. The original trip was in about 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the Dutch Liberation. Neil and Velda McLean went again for the 60th anniversary. My parents did not go. The Dutch Liberation tours are still ongoing today. Converted to a digital file on April 7, 2013