Events in P.E.I. to mark 80th anniversary of liberation of the Netherlands

Islanders are remembering the sacrifices of Canadian veterans on the 80-year anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War.

Events are scheduled for Belfast Lavender Labyrinth from 2- 4 p.m. Events will move to St. John's Presbyterian Church in case of bad weather.

For the Dutch, May 4 is Remembrance Day while May 5 is Liberation Day — marking the anniversary of Germany's surrender of the Netherlands to Canadian Lt.-Gen. Charles Foulkes. The days commemorate the deaths of both soldiers and civilians during the war.

About 7,600 Canadians died freeing the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.

Event organizer Xandra van der Geer, who's originally from the Netherlands, said the two days will be rolled into one.

"To celebrate it is really important," she said. "It's always been important back in the Netherlands and still is a really huge event, an event of two days in the Netherlands. Here we try to do that in one day."

What's going on?

The activities  in Belfast on Sunday will include performances by the Belfast Pipe Band, a wreath laying and stories from the Second World War.

At the end, tulips meant to symbolize the Netherlands will be given to all in attendance.

Netherlands liberation anniversary | CBC News special

2 days ago

Duration 3:02:47

The first weekend in May marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. Join CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault for a commemoration from Groesbeek Cemetery — where 2,338 Canadians are buried — to keep their stories and sacrifices alive.

The tulip has been important to the Dutch since before the war, said van der Geer, who shared a story told to her by her father.

"My dad, who was from a big family with 13 kids, and especially at the end of the war there was the hunger winter, and there was just no food," she said.

"So, he was eating tulip bulbs, and that sounds really weird, and the government really encouraged people to do so because it was a lot of nutrients people didn't know about, and they had to, otherwise they would starve."

Since the war, the Netherlands sends 20,000 tulips to Canada as a thank-you each year.

Van der Geer said she hopes people will think more about the war, and be thankful for what they have.

"We shouldn't take freedom for granted, we have a pretty good life ... compared to a lot of people in the war," she said.