Why the Dutch still honour Canadians, 80 years after their liberation from Germany

Philip Drost · CBC Radio

· Posted: Apr 21, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Canadian seasoned Jim Parks is getting acceptable to sojourn the Netherlands again, 80 years aft playing a relation successful liberating the state from German occupation. 

And helium tin expect a lukewarm welcome. 

"He's inactive our hero," said Marco Kalmijn, who is portion of the Canadian Liberators Foundation, which helps Canadian veterans sojourn the Netherlands. "Even aft 80 years, he's inactive our leader present successful the Netherlands, so we're truthful grateful helium tin travel again."

Parks, present 100 years old, is 1 of the galore Canadians who fought the Germans successful Europe during the Second World War. But successful the Netherlands, there's a peculiar appreciation for the Maple Leaf. 

Around 7,600 Canadians died prying the Netherlands from Hitler's grip. Since then, the Dutch person recovered galore ways to honour the Canadians who fought successful their country. 

There are memorials and cemeteries dedicated to Canadian soldiers who died portion fighting. The Dutch besides nonstop 20,000 tulips to Ottawa each year. There are adjacent Dutch streets named aft Canadian warfare heroes. 

And adjacent 80 years aft the war, radical from crossed the Netherlands find caller ways to honour the sacrifice of Parks and others.

"The precious happening of state the Canadian soldiers gave to us, we person to retrieve that each twelvemonth of each day," said Kalmijn.

'Excited to spell back'

On April 15, 1945, conscionable a fewer weeks earlier the Germans officially surrendered the country, the regiment of the Royal Canadian Dragoons was capable to instrumentality the metropolis of Leeuwarden successful the Dutch state of Friesland backmost from Axis forces. 

Parks, who joined the subject erstwhile helium was conscionable 15, was tasked with rooting retired remaining German soldiers from the city.

Parks remembers searching the metropolis during that clip and being asked to flip a grenade into a farmhouse wherever they thought force soldiers mightiness beryllium hiding. 

"I didn't similar the thought of doing that," said Parks, who remembers the infinitesimal vividly. He says helium could perceive idiosyncratic talking connected the different broadside of the door. 

"I opened up the doorway and here's a full Dutch household there, astir six radical — a mother, dada and 4 kids … I often deliberation astir that, however fortunate I was not to bash that."

The household was grateful to spot him, helium says.

"They were truthful blessed due to the fact that present we are, the liberators."

Since then, Parks has been backmost to the Netherlands astir 10 times. When helium goes, helium often visits Friesland, and each clip he's been there, helium says he's been treated similar a hero. 

In a fewer weeks, helium volition spell backmost again. 

"I'm precise excited to spell backmost due to the fact that you're ever truthful invited there," helium said.

Honouring the Maple Leaf

On April 25, soon aft the 80th day of Leeuwarden's liberation, the city's shot team, SC Camburr, plans to deterioration a peculiar Canadian mentation of their jersey, marked with maple leaves and the crest of the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

But it's not conscionable the jersey that volition honour the Canadian subject efforts.

"We volition play the anthem of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Our instrumentality magazines and everything volition beryllium successful Canadian style," said Ruben Sijtsma, who speaks for the club.

"Every small thing, each small interaction we tin bash successful that game, volition beryllium successful remembrance and successful honour of, especially, the Dragoons and the Canadian radical successful general."

The thought was archetypal calved successful September, erstwhile fans were discussing the play ahead. 

Sijtsma remembers celebrating Remembrance Day, oregon Dodenherdenking, arsenic a child, and being confused arsenic to wherefore determination were Canadian flags everywhere. But helium rapidly learned astir the interaction Canadians had connected his country. 

"The younger radical cognize the story, but not arsenic overmuch arsenic they astir apt should," said Sijtsma.

"So we thought with a radical of fans, 'Hey, what tin we bash to archer the communicative and to besides honour these guys,' but besides archer the important connection like, 'Hey, freedom, it is not for granted and we should ever combat for it.'"

He says the effect from the assemblage has been overwhelming, and the Canadian mentation of the jersey sold retired connected their website successful conscionable a fewer hours. They're looking astatine the anticipation of having much made.

'We convey our state to him'

Parks voiced a monologue for the squad astir the liberation of Leeuwarden, and his clip serving successful the war.

"We are truly honoured to beryllium capable to archer his story, usage his dependable successful the video because, yeah, if you spot it … it's rather emotional," said Sijtsma.

WATCH | SC Camburr honouring Canadians narrated by Jim Parks:

Kalmijn says that successful Friesland, Parks is good known. When helium arrives successful the Netherlands successful precocious April, Kalmijn says there's a afloat itinerary of events for the Canadian veteran, including seeing the Afsluitdijk, a Dutch warfare museum, and a memorial for Canadian soldiers.

He says that arsenic the years spell on, the Dutch volition proceed to observe Parks and the different Canadian heroes who fought for Dutch liberation.

"He is 1 of the past surviving liberators of the Netherlands," said Kalmijn. 

"He is honoured present successful the Netherlands successful a precise bully and bully mode due to the fact that we convey our state to him. And helium represents besides his comrades who person fallen into the warfare and are not live anymore."