MP wants to declare Canada-Netherlands Day

by Charlie Fri 04 Jan 2019, 7:07 am

Published on: January 3, 2019

MP wants to declare Canada-Netherlands Day CDN04VanKesteren-e1546556068380

The MP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington plans to ask his fellow members to officially recognize the anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands during the Second World War each year.

Dave Van Kesteren, who was born to Dutch immigrants in 1955, said he is scheduled to put forward a private member’s motion when Canadian parliament resumes Jan. 28 to declare May 5 Canada-Netherlands Day.

“Obviously, from my background, I thought about this for quite some time, knowing the sacrifices that were made by our Canadian forces in the liberation of The Netherlands, but also recognizing the unique friendship we have as two countries,” he said.

Canadian forces, aided by its allies, played a major role in liberating Holland from Nazi occupation in 1945, with 7,600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen dying in action.

Van Kesteren is retiring from federal politics in October and he said this will be his last chance to make a private member’s motion in the House of Commons.

“I think it’s timely and it’s a good way to go out,” he said. “I did have a private member’s bill in the last parliament and that passed unanimously. I suspect this will pass unanimously too.”

Canada’s relationship was shown recently when The Netherlands prime minister visited Ottawa in October, he said.

Van Kesteren also attended the coronation of Willem-Alexander as king of The Netherlands in 2013 and met Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the time. The two met again on the 70th anniversary of the liberation.

Although Dutch settlement in Canada pre-dates the Second World War, 94,000 Dutch immigrants came to Canada between 1947 and 1954 with many choosing to live on farms in southern Ontario, according to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax.

Ontario is now home to more than 527,000 people with Dutch ancestry, according to the 2016 Census. About 11,000 reside in Chatham-Kent, making up 11 per cent of the population. London has 38,165 residents with Dutch ancestry.

Richard Dirk ter Vrugt, the former council for The Netherlands based in London, Ont., noted Ontario has recognized the whole month of May as Dutch Heritage Month since 2011.

“If Dave Van Kesteren wants to do this Canada-wide, then I think it will be a good move,” he said. “The Dutch love the Canadian veterans.”

https://www.chathamdailynews.ca/news/local-news/mp-wants-to-declare-canada-netherlands-day