As a 38 year old Dutchie I get very emotional in a positive way. EVERYTHING you see in our country wouldnt be this way if the Canadians didnt come to liberate the Netherlands. They are our heroes and saved our families. We can not thank them enough. So again Thank you Canada.
@Steve Mar. Wow! The Dutch are very cognisant of who risked, and gave, their lives for them. They're taught very young about the British, the Canadians, the Americans. Mr. van der Neut isn't decrying any of that. What he is saying is that without the Canadians it wouldn't be what it is today. Neither would it be what it is without the British or Americans, etc. But because this is specifically about the Dutch and the Canadian relationship his comment is about the Canadians. Apart from that, I'm not entirely sure that the relationship between the Dutch and the other Nations who helped in the Liberation of the Netherlands have quite as close a connection for whatever reason. Please allow Mr. van der Neut to express his gratitude for Canada without asking where that same gratitude is for the others. It's there, I'm sure, but he's responding to this video on Canada. And that's ok.
I'm Dutch, my parents were young children during the war. My grandmother did not survive the cold "hunger winter" of 1944/1945. I was in a Canadian shopping mall when I saw a man doing book signing. It was a book about his bomber days over Europe during WW2. It turned out he had taken part in the "food droppings" over Holland during the last weeks of the war.. My parents were on the receiving end of those droppings in these days. I was grateful to be able to shake this man's hand and thank him for what he did for us.
My Great Grandfather is in this briefly. He travelled back to the Netherlands many many times after the war. He just turn 100 years old this year. Very proud of him and proud to be Canadian.
@@toddboyce3599 he is immortal...he was/is a liberator, the Dutch will keep what he's done in their fondest memories as well as their history classes! He and all other Dutch Liberators are thus, immortal!
Our friendship runs deep. The Dutch Royal family went into exile in 1940 and were sheltered in Canada. Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa Civiv hospital. The entire maternity ward was declared Dutch territory, so that she could be born a Dutch citizen. The Netherlands yearly sends thousands of tulip bulbs to Canada in gratitude. They are beautiful arrayed in our capital each spring. Regarding accents in the 40’s and earlier most of our immigrants were from the UK. It wasn’t unusual to hear Canadians with English and Scottish accents. I myself was born in Canada to a British war bride ( my dad was Canadian ) my mum was a little homesick and a tad leery of those “ Wild Canadians “ There were six English war brides in our little town, and they kind of stuck together at first. My dad worked on the railway, so being away long periods of time…..I and my friends all had English accents and terminology once I was in school for a while I lost my accent. My Mum died young at 42 but she never lost herEnglish accent.
Actually, that's not true. The maternity ward was declared extraterritorial, so that she wouldn't be born British. Because the British follow the rule of "jus soli" ("right of soil"), by declaring the maternity ward extraterritorial, aka (very simply) international, Margriet would be born Dutch, following the Dutch rule of jus saguinis ("right of blood"). From Wikipedia "It is a common misconception that the Canadian government declared the maternity ward to be Dutch territory. That was not necessary, as Canada follows jus soli, while the Netherlands follows jus sanguinis. It was sufficient for Canada to disclaim the territory temporarily."
I am proud that Canada is recognized the world over as a polite, peaceful people, but will push comes to shove against crimes of humanity. We lay down our lives to defend those who need defending 🇨🇦♥️ I am proud to be a Canadian
Huh, I played Jr and college hockey against Western Canadians.....they were not so polite. Things might be different now, but back in the day, those boys would drop their gloves in a heartbeat.
In 2017 my daughter, a corporal in the Canadian forces, marched through several liberated towns in the Netherlands. Hospital patients insisted on being pushed outside to see our troops pass. She said it was such an honour to represent those who had earned these peoples gratitude.
John, I am a 1st gen Canadian born to Liberated Dutch immigrants. I was the 3rd of 4 kids. My Father’s quiet wish was that 1 of his children would grow up to be a Canadian Forces soldier. He arrived at the YMCA in Winnipeg with 2 brothers and a sister (his remaining 6 siblings remained in Holland as they had their own families). The deal was once they secured work and a place to live they’d repay the YMCA for food and shelter. The jobs that were supposed to be awaiting them were never realized. He was 19 then so he and his older brother set out found work while his sister cared for his 14 yr old brother. The YMCA refused to let them pay back the cost room and board. Unbeknownst to him, I went to recruiting and waited for the call that came in Feb of ‘89. I got home late for dinner from signing my Oath to Queen and Country. He barked “your mother slaves all day cleaning and cooking and you come home late for supper. My mom knew what I was upto. I dropped my Oath in front of him. It was the first and only time I saw his eyes wet. He lived near Appledoorn and was liberated by Canadians, his dream was finally realized with that Oath I took. Both he and my mother are as grateful as those who remained in Holland if not even more so for being allowed to immigrate to Canada. He said they wouldn’t take his money when he wanted to pay his room and board but, he felt his debt to Canada was paid in full because his eldest son joined the CF. This video, of the Dutch people’s gratitude is as vivid for me today as it was the day I took the Oath. I had to dry my eyes before I wrote this because I to, even though I am a Canadian am just as thankful for the Liberators as he, my mother and whole extended family are. Thank-you.
Peter was a doing a report here in Vancouver right on the Granville Street Bridge next to my building. I ran out to see him before I remembered that we're 3 hours behind Toronto so he was long gone! 😂 He was superb in all of his interviews, especially Gord Downie.
Peter Mansbridge was discovered by a CBC Radio manager in 1968 when he was making an announcement over the intercom at the airport in Churchill, Manitoba.
I was born in Netherlands. My parents lived through the war, my mother having lived in Rotterdam which was bombed flat and at age 16 weighed 65 lbs. My father from a family of 9. He stole whatever he could to survive. I am now Canadian and these stories always bring tears to me. I am a proud Dutch/Canadian. Thank you for this. I’m on my way to Netherlands in a month.
You’re quite welcome and I’m just happy to be able to tell the stories of the people that made a difference. I admire both Canada and the Netherlands. I have also studied the history of my home state, NY. The Dutch influence from the early days when we were New Amsterdam, in the colony of New Netherlands, still informs a lot of what NY is today. Religious freedom and ethnic tolerance started and remains a hallmark of New Amsterdam aka NYC.
In 2008, I was privileged to spend a week in the Netherlands and participate in their Liberation parade in Wageningen. I've been in a lot of parades in Canada and the US, and this blew me away. The number of people lining the streets to welcome back their liberators was incredible. I felt like I was in one of those newsreel movies. Their love for Canadians is unmatched.
@@Doug.Dimmadomedon't count yourself weak. The Dutch are a strong people. Just a small nation. But this is where our allies come in my friend. Canada and the Dutch. Same with Ukraine and Poland and our other allies. You can't bully a group of small countries when they all punch a weight class or 3 above and our total is bigger too.
My neighbours for a number of years were a wonderful couple from Holland. He had been a farmer all of his life, tough and rugged, still doing heavy work even in his later years. We were discussing the war one day and he was telling me what it had been like under occupation when I noticed a tear in his eye. He looked at me and said, “They came all the way from their homes to save us and gave their lives”.
Dutch families tend the many Canadian graves in Holland to this day. In fact, there is a waiting list to be a family that has the privilege and responsibility of caring for the grave of a fallen Canadian soldier. Beyond the yearly donation of 20,000 tulip bulbs that grace our capitol city every spring, this commitment by individual Dutch citizens is moving beyond words. On a similar theme, there is an old clip of a young Belgian boy saluting marching Canadian troops, and receiving a return salute.
@@TheDyllsand people say Canadians are nice?! A waiting list??? That's absolutely amazing, and truly humbling. I think the Dutch might just have us beat!! 😂
I was a piper and drummer for the military and never had the opportunity to make it to the celebrations with the rest of the Canadians. However, I was once doing a remembrance service and the minister told us a story. She was back in her Dutch father's home and as they were driving the country side, her dad yelled for her to stop the car. She thought something was wrong, as her dad got out of the car, walked across the road into a field and fell to his knees in tears. As she followed him and helped him up, she asked what was wrong. The dad replied that's where they came from, over that hill. She asked where who came from. The dad replied, the Canadians. That's where they came from and saved us. It was a touching story to hear. To hear an elderly man describe what he saw, almost like he was a child again, watching his town become free, once again.
My father was born in 1941 in Gouda (province of South Holland). Even at 4 years of age, he still distinctly remembers the Canadian liberators coming into the city! Even now (he's 82), he remembers sitting on one soldier's lap, who gave him some candies. He remembers the look on the soldier's face - one of compassion, and longing to be home. The starvation was a reality. My dad lost his hair due to malnutrition. He still remembers hiding under the bunk beds when the air raid siren rang out as Rotterdam was being bombed. Some things you never forget. So it was that his eldest brother, post war, came to Canada, and paved the way for his mom and other siblings to also come. Every year, on the anniversary of the liberation, we fly the Canadian and Netherland's flags high and proud. While traveling in the Netherlands, wearing anything that has the Canada flag is sure to get you noticed, and may just spark up a conversation - especially with the elderly, those who were there. Great reaction John! Thanks.
Not just the Dutch but also Norwegians. I attended a funeral for a friend who had been twice honored by the Norwegian King. He said he was Norwegian by birth but Canadian by choice. The Norwegian ambassador flew out from Ottawa to attend. He made an emotional speech thanking the Canadians for giving his people their country back. He had tears in his eyes.
Our ancestors are from these lands. Canadian. But my direct ancestor is Rollo of normandy. Danish or Norwegian if memory serves but nobody knows exactly for certain. Western provinces are heavily populated by families from Ukrainian polish and Dutch roots. Same with all over. We may be a new nation bur as we've shown with 2 world wars. Even when it costs us we don't forget our roots. Quebec has a large Jewish population so does ontario. We don't forget our roots.
the whole thing was far more complicated than a history lesson can tell. It wasn't because Canadians liberated the Netherlands but how. With astonishing bravery fearlessness determination in total disregard of their own lives. These men walked into the jaws of death with calm resoluteness because it was better to die and win than live and loose. This is not nostalgic remembrance but the truth in a nut shell. My parents grand parents ants and uncles lived it out in person. The freedom was hard won for someone else.
My uncle served in the Netherlands with Princess Patricia light infantry in WWII, he also served in Normandy. Canadians are reveared for our brave service and the liberation of so many 🇨🇦 🍁
They still send tulips to Canada every year. I visited Ottawa in June, 20+ years ago and there were tulips everywhere. I am halfway through the video writing this. Great video sir, thank you.
When I went to the Netherlands in 1980 the Canadians on our bus tour were also treated this way & where I live we always have tulips donated to us from them, it’s so beautiful & the Capital of Canada (Ottawa) have even more Tulips given to them😁❤️ The Dutch are a beautiful people & Will remember forever❤️
My father was a Canadian soldier during the Second World War . He was in Holland ,what he saw haunted him for the rest of his life . He befriended a young Dutch boy and gave him food and chocolate as much as he could . During the 50s this little Dutch boy whose name I have forgotten found my Father again in Halifax ,Nova Scotia . Their bond was like Father and son .
I visited the Netherlands in the mid '90s. I went into a bank one day to get some currency exchanged, and they wouldn't charge me a service fee when they found out I was Canadian.
I moved to the Netherlands in 2000 and driving from the airport to my new home I saw a horse drawn wagon, covered in flowers with a huge sign saying "Thank You Canada". Over my 12 years there I saw and felt the love the Dutch have for we Canadians. Memories have not faded with them. Thank you so much for your reaction John.
My father was part of the Liberation of Holland. He landed at Juno Beach. Later in life he went back with my Mom to visit a “boy” he had helped there during the war. They held a parade for him! Still makes me cry thinking about it. So very proud of him. ❤️🇨🇦
It is unsettling for me to contemplate sometimes that I would not exist if Germany had not invaded the Netherlands. My paternal grandmother lived in Rotterdam, and experienced the horrors of that occupation. She married a Canadian soldier and moved to Canada in 1945. My father was born from that marriage. When I was a teenager, my grandmother told me about some of her experiences during the war. I know she held back many things.
🇨🇦 war brides came from a lot of places and found a home for a family here. My great aunt was one, landed on the east coast, took a train "that lasted forever it seemed" to go all the way west. A rear admiral's surgeon's daughter from England.
@@ninemoonplanet Not to forget that many German POW's in Canada returned to Canada after being sent back to Germany at war's end. Germany was in such a mess that they saw no hope for the future. They returned to Canada because they were treated so well and because they saw a better future here. They've become excellent citizens.
When I was in the Army I was stationed in Washington and we would go to Canada some weekends and it was a blast! Some of the nicest people i have ever met in Canada.
I went to Holland when I was 18 as a World War buff and virgin traveller... I NEVER expected the kindness from the Dutch for JUST being Canadian. It got to a point where too many free drinks were bought and we eventually said "We appreciate it very much, but we dont want free drinks on our grandfathers bravery and Grandmothers work at home".... almost all replied to it by basically saying "Well their work is why I, my dad, mom, uncle etc etc etc survived the war and are here today. Canadians gave their weeks rations and any money they had on them to us while we starved on tulip bulbs and other roots" Didnt matter if they experienced it first hand, or were our age and only taught about it.... but their grandparents and parents all had a personal story to tell. Every hotel owner wanted to talk to us to see if they knew out last names from possibly friends from wartime as well. Which we thought only Canadians do "I know Mike Abootman from Calgary! hows he doin?" lol
Excuse my English, a Dutchie here A very emotional and great video is about that every Dutch person adopted the graves of the fallen hero’s. Till this day the graves been cleaned, put flowers on because there families good not do it for them. And to thank them. Also every year candles lighting up on the graveyards. We are thankful to the fallen and to their families. And we have to make sure we remember. It changed Europe. Like they said you have to be taking away your freedom to know.
I'm so glad to hear from a Dutch person about this subject. Please, no need to apologize for your English. It is quite good. I thank you for your wonderful reflections. Peace from New York.
Thank you for this video; my grandfather was part of the liberation army as a pilot. Thankfully he came home or else I wouldn't be here. He died when i was quite little but he always planted tulips in the garden in rememberance of the Dutch people he helped set free. To this day my flower beds have tulips of all colours. On a side note thank you for bringing this to the attention of a wider, hopefully American audience. I married a Texan and lived there until he passed a way and we raised our family there. When my oldest was learning about WW2 in history I was appalled to learn that Canada was NOT mentioned as fighting in this war!!! I wrote a very irate letter to the govenor and the school board, my son was so outraged that he did an entire report on exactly what the Canadian forces contributed to the war including taking my great uncle and grandfather's medals with him when he presented it. I was so gosh darn proud of him that day, lol. The teacher didn't know what to say and i mean what could she say the proof was in the pudding as they say. Anyway great job on all your thoughtful and intelligent content on topics that Canadians are proud of but too humble to brag about. :]Love your channel!
Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it. I am a Dutch Canadian. My whole life, I heard stories from my mother about the war. Yes, my mother ate tulip bulbs, too. Yet I never knew exactly what those courageous Canadian heroes did. Thank you for educating me and for the video that followed. Makes me sad about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Seeing two kids with their back packs on laying in the street dead. Have we not learned anything? Anyway, thanks once again for this! Incidentally, my Mom is 91 now. It's scary to think about what may have been. I lost my grandfather (Dutch soldier) during that war. My Mom was 12, so I wouldn't have existed.
Canada heeft ons bevrijd .americanen waren voor de helft omgelopen omdat ze zogenaamd de weg kwijt waren en de andere helft bombarderde rotterdam en vlogen daarna meteen door naar berlijn om de buit te delen daar met england en rusland.jaren lang hebben wij ze miljoenen gegeven ervoor terwijl de canadezen nog geen stuiver van ons wouwen aannemen
@@gerritkortland2784 Nee hoor, de Amerikanen hebben evengoed delen van ons land bevrijd. Weet je hoeveel jonge Amerikaanse soldaten begraven liggen bij Margraten? 💔 Die hebben hun leven gegeven om ons te bevrijden van de nazi's. Na de bevrijding hielp de VS ons economisch met hun Marshallplan. We hebben enorm veel te danken aan ze en dat mogen we nooit vergeten.
Thank you. Even 80 years on, Dutch families honor our boys by maintaining and decorating their graves, whether US, Canadian, Polish or Brits. It’s beautiful. Especially because there are waiting lists and many graves have been passed by wills to the younger generations of a family after the deaths of the older. 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇳🇱🇵🇱🇬🇧
Thank you John for this wonderful reminder of the kinship between the Dutch and Canadians. I know the story well having heard it from my Dad who was a soldier in the Canadian Army during WW II. Really enjoyed the report by Peter Mansbridge as well as your comments. Coming from a patriotic family where 3 uncles and both my parents served it was nice to hear how the Dutch remember their liberators. ❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
The canadians freed the town i grew up in. The very hospital i was born in was free'd by them. If not for the collective efforts of the allied i mightve not been born. So many of us need to be thankfull to the canadians just for that fact. The war is often forgotten.
I have been to The Netherlands and also visited the Anne Frank house and visited the memorial sites. So many tributes to Canada all over. All my Uncles and my Dad fought in WW2 and my Dad raised us to never forget. So visiting these places where battles were fought and won, the graves of soldiers lost and also the places where inhumanity was at its worst is so meaningful in making sure we do never forget. I love that the children in The Netherlands take part in the Remembrance Day activities and pay tribute to those that liberated their families. It is very touching.
17:14 "The little thing we did". This phrase always makes me both crack up and tear up every single time I hear it. For them, it was just another day at the office. For everyone else, it was everything.
I have to say, you are one of the most empathetic people I’ve seen. Your desire to learn through the pain and suffering of others is written on your face and you are often on the verge of tears. The world needs more John F’s especially these days through strife and turmoil.
I still to this day run into Dutch Canadians who express their love and appreciation for Canada and all that she had done for the Netherlands. From all ages. They truly are a lovely people.
When Peter Mansbridge was nineteen years old, he was working at the airport in Churchill, Manitoba ---- yes the town famous for polar bears romping around its streets. Part of his job was to announce planes arriving and departing. When Gaston Charpentier, the manager of a CBC radio station heard his voice over the intercom, he hired him on the spot to host a local music show in Thompson, Manitoba. Mansbridge rapidly moved up CBC's talent ladder. By 1988, he was the co-anchor of the flagship national news hour, working with the venerable Knowlton Nash. CBS offered him a spot in the U.S.. To prevent Mansbridge from leaving the country, Nash resigned his post and insisted that Mansbridge replace him. Good call. I often saw Mansbridge walking down my street, which was around the corner from the CBC station in Toronto. Yes, the Dutch never forget. When I visited the Netherlands, if anyone found out I was Canadian, they treated me like royalty. The documentary doesn't mention that every year, the Netherlands sends thousands of tulip bulbs to Ottawa, and in the spring and summer the city is carpeted with tulips.
I had a neighbor that was dutch he passed away a few years ago, he was great for telling stories about growing up in wartime Holland ,eating tulip bulbs, he joined the canadian military as a musician, as many Dutch did in the 1950,s.
My parents “Dutch” lived in the Netherlands during ww2 ,they suffered greatly. My mother saw resistance fighters shot to death as a little girl. She and my dad also saw much more horror . My uncle was blown up beside my mom while they were walking looking for firewood to keep warm. They were rescued by Canadian soldiers who treated the Dutch people like family. They lost family members by the score. They managed to save and we moved and immigrated to Canada in 1965. Our gratitude to Canada is still in our hearts ❤️ our family in Holland still loves Canadians , the feelings have been passed down from parents to children. Thanks to all Canadian soldiers and their families that came from them for their sacrifice for freedom 😢peace
Hi again John, 48th Highlanders were and still are a Toronto regiment. When I was in the 25 Toronto Service Battalion - Transportation Company, I had quite a few friends from that regiment.
Another terrific and informative video. Thank you John to remind me, as a Canadian, that these awesome historic events are often overlooked. Not really forgotten, but pushed to the back of our minds I suppose to make room for all of the current events that take up so much of our lives these days. Watching this video wakes a person up to the real important events that changed people’s lives. Both of my parents served overseas in WW2, dad was Canadian Army. He served on the transportation units(trains) of course the bridges and rail tracks were bombed regularly. His unit also had the horrific job of picking up the death camp survivors, many of them died along the way and were given a proper burial near the tracks.😢 mum was in the British Airforce, they met at a dance and married in England in 1944. They came to Canada a year later. I have a treasure trove of their military memorabilia.
Nice to hear from you again. Yes, this is taught in our schools as well. Canada also passed legislation so the hospital room the young princess was being born in was given Dutch ownership so she would still hold Dutch citizenship. The Dutch Royal family lived in Canada in exile during the war. Seems kind of predestined that the cdns would then liberate the country.
From Canada I always look forward to your clip . We have many families of Canadian Army Soldiers bringing back War Brides from Holland . My next door neighbor is the daughter of a Dutch War Bride . There are many Fountains in Parks that are donated by the Dutch . As I understand the Dutch maintain the Canadian Military Cemeteries in Holland , according to my Dutch friend . C A McLean
My Grandfathers regiment took part in the liberation. While he walked down the road, a lady ran out of her house and gave him a tiny porcelain shoe to show her gratitude. He gave it to my Great Grandmother when he came home and when she passed, it was given to me. I have no idea how old it is though it looks very old, indeed, nor its monitary value. The sentimental value is pricesless. A tiny bit of history i hold in my hand and remember Grandad and his wonderful stories and the Dutch lady who probably gave him the very best she had.
As a Dutch person I am willing to bet that it was not only the most valuable thing she had, but she excused that she didn't have more to give. And it was well earned, having heard stories from my grandparents about the suffering during the war, our gratitude will always remain.
Last year...2022. I received in the mail a pin in the shape of a torch from the "kingdom of the Netherlands" commemorating the families of the men who had liberated Holland in a card with the pin. Imagine! How did they know! I served in the US Army from 65-68 and have a hat to that effect...I pinned the Dutch award on my hat with great pride! Honour for my Dad and respect totally! BTW I am a Canadian though I served in the US Vietnam era.
My Dad was with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders on D Day ...the ONLY Allied unit to exceed the day one objectives, Dad also went to the Scheldt Estuary campaign which led to the liberation of Holland. The Dutch have NEVER forgotten Canada and we have tons of Dutch immigrants who have added greatly to our country.
Loved this video.. and it definitely put tears in my eyes. Wars are abhorrent and it makes me very sad and angry that they happen and cause immeasurable suffering. This makes me proud to be Canadian too, and I'm glad there is still good in human beings to help those who need it.
My father was one of those Canadians who liberated Appledorn. He always held the Dutch in such respect after seeing what they had endured. We are so very proud of him..
My uncle Harry Gervais was killed during the liberation. The street sign Gervaisstraat is in his memory. The street where he was born in the village of La Passe Ontario was also renamed Gervaisstraat
My brother in-law father was born in Holland and 12 years old when the war ended. He immigrated to Canada and married a Dutch girl who also immigrated and bought a farm. He told me once that he remember the day the Canadian came and liberated the village. He and his family though these men were amazing. The soldiers also share their rations as the people were starving. The German had taking everything, they could find. Several Canadian died in the battle for the village, their names are honoured every year. School children are taught their names so their sacrifices are not forgotten. I’ve alway thought the Dutch really know what freedom means much like Ukrainians know today what freedom cost.
The Dutch have never forgotten. Thank you John for this moving piece...I just love your warm, thoughtful, articulate commentary as always. And yes, Peter Mansbridge is a Canadian treasure to be sure. We were so lucky he didn't leave Canada to make bigger $$ as an American journalist. I see similarities between you and him. You are both such lovely men.
Living in Germany nowadays as a Dutchman, people here dont understand our gratitude for those who liberated my grandparents. They partly cannot understand it, cause the gratitude my grandparents experienced that day is passed on to the next generations. The freedom we enjoy these days has come with an unimaginable sacrifice. And that gratitude i was thought by my grandparents i will pass on to my kids and friends. (even if it is abit to deaf men's ears) Even if it is Germany
This Story has all ways resonated with me. My Grandparents on my mothers side both immigrated to Canada as children from the Netherlands after the war and i have heard some of the stories from the war (unfortunately some were never passed down from my Great grand parents). My great Uncle on my fathers side fought to liberate the Netherlands. i inherited a few years back a clog he brought back for my grand mother as a gift. one fact that was not mentioned is the story of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. when the Netherlands were occupied the royal family fled to Canada. while they were there a Hospital room in Ottawa was temporarily given to the Dutch so that the new born princes could be born a Dutch citizen.
During a veteran's dinner in 2005, a legislator was one of the guest speakers. His family was Dutch and he was a young boy during the occupation. Of course he is much older now, but recounted seeing the faces of the young Canadian soldiers as they liberated their town. He spoke the Canadians smiling and waving at the kids, being very friendly and handing out whatever food they could find. He said the atmosphere certainly changed in their town. Anyhow, there were young Canadian soldiers attending this Veterans dinner, all dressed up in their DEU's. As he spoke about his childhood experiences he glanced over at the young Canadian soldiers and said "I remember all of the beautiful young faces of heroes...much like you", then he started weeping. Gratitude.
John - Please look into Leo Major. A Canadian WW2 hero who helped liberate Holland, and if he were an American there would already be 10 movies about him. His story is so crazy but true!
I'm sure I read he was born in 1921, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to French Canadian parents, Major moved with his family to Montreal before his first birthday.
When Canadians saw what was happening in the Netherlands, taking down Hitler temporarily became a secondary war goal The liberation and feeding of Europe was more important, General Crerar was hellbent on making sure no German troops would remain in occupied territories before reaching Germany and made it his personal mission to do everything he could to minimize destruction and casualties to civilians in north-west Europe after being almost powerless to prevent the destruction and killing of civilians in Italy Much love from Canada, Netherlands
Thank you once again, John, for another enjoyable and informative video. I feel that Peter Mansbridge is such a wonderful storyteller and interviewer, in addition to being a trusted and respected journalist and news anchor. He's absolutely a legend in the Canadian media; knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and with a keen sense of humour! Retired now, but welcomed into Canadian livingrooms every weeknight for decades. The Dutch have always been very vocal with their gratitude and respect to Canada with respect to Canadians' role in the liberation of their country. Are you also aware that the Dutch royal family went into exile when the Netherlands was occupied by the German Nazis in 1940. Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa on January 19, 1943, daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. The maternity ward of Ottawa General Hospital was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial, being Dutch territory, so that the Princess was born in the Netherlands. Each spring, in gratitude, the government of The Netherlands sends Ottawa thousands of multi-colored tulips in recognition of the hospitality shown to their Royal family.
Honored to have known a great man who was there during that time. Recently passed in his 103rd year. Would always tell of the kindness of the Dutch people and how welcoming they where. He would go back from time to time to visit.
John the Dutch Royal Family stayed in Ottawa during the war and Princess Margriet was born here. For the birth the maternity ward at the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared extraterritorial for the birth, ensuring the baby would have Dutch citizenship alone. The princess regularly visits Ottawa. Holland continues to send tulips to Ottawa as a gift. The Canadian Tulip Festival 12 to 22 May is a legacy of this gift. each year more than one million tulips bloom across Ottawa
In those days the gender was only known at birth, it could have been a boy, and therefor successor to the throne. Nowadays it's the first born, no matter its gender. Margriet, who was born in Canada as third child, remained second in line because her sister in between gave up her rights. Next to Queen Beatrix, she took up a lot of work to represent the royal family and worked for charity. She is very much appreciated.
@@dutchman7623 Her birthday was the only time a foriegn flag flew on our Parliament buildings. There is a story behind why they made the materinty room extraterritorial It had to do with being born in Canada would make the baby him/her a Canadian citizen. "The maternity ward of the hospital was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government. This ensured that the newborn would not be born in Canada, and not be a British subject under the rule of jus soli “
As a Dutchman, I would like the thank the Canadians one more time. My grandparents lived in occupied Haarlem, in North Holland. That part of the Netherlands was one of the last places to be liberated. They lived through what’s known as the “hunger winter”. My grandfather was send to the tulip fields between Leiden & Haarlem, to dig up tulip bulbs to bring home. They would cook them, so that their families had at least something to eat. My grandmother was send to a farm in the province of Friesland, because she was sick and so weak that she wouldn’t have survived that winter. My grandparents would always tell about the Canadians when they arrived in Haarlem, during the Remembrance and Liberation day on the 4th & 5th of May. You can still find some old footage on TH-cam when these liberators arrived in Haarlem.
@Steve Mar. well the British and American forces were mainly focused on invading Germany. North Holland in the west, wasn’t a priority for allied command. This is why the western part of the Netherlands was almost exclusively liberated by the Canadians. British & American forces were concentrated in the east of the country, in what is known as Operation Market Garden. This is also the reason why the west of the Netherlands almost starved during the winter of 1944-45. Simply because the Allies were more focused on invading and defeating Germany.
Thank you for reviewing this video. I think it's important that, no matter where you are from, you understand history and especially the sacrifices and sufferings of those before us.
Highlander is a pretty common unit term of the army of that era but the 48th Highlanders were largely from Toronto part of the 1st Canadian Division. They were one of the many Canadian Units that missed out on D-Day as they were still fighting in Italy. In 1945 they redeployed to Northern Europe to aid in the liberation of the Netherlands. Of note the 48th Highlanders Pipes and Drums is the group that opens the Toronto Maple Leaf's home season every year by marching on the ice and has done so since 1931.
The Dutch Royal Family came to Canada during the War. Princess Margriet was born here - the hospital ward being declared by Canada to be Dutch Territory as Margriet was due to be the Dutch Monarch some day (and did). The Dutch give us tulips every year and are everywhere in Canada as a 'thanks'. The Dutch also gave us Holstein cows as a 'thanks'. The Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Holland make you cry - they are so pristine, so beautiful, so maintained with the Dutch themselves making them pristine as a 'thanks'. A Canadian today travelling to or through Holland won't believe how he's treated by the Dutch. I can only hope that he knows why.
Margriet was not in line to be queen. She was 3rd born. Her oldest sister Beatrix was in line and became queen after Juliana, their mother, retired. Whilemina, Juliana's mother was queen during the war years.
True heroes. They gave back our freedom, our hope and our pride. We always teach the next generation to honor them. Because they are the reason we can live the way we do now.
In January 1946 a lot of children were born thanks to the Dutch (female) gratitude towards Canadian soldiers. Most Dutch young man were send to Germany to work in the Nazi war industry which got bombed on a daily base and loads of them never returned after the war because they got killed during one of these countless bombing raids.
Hey John. Love the intro you've been using for the past few vids. Also got to say, as an American, you absolutely blow me away by your knowledge of Canada and interest to learn more about us. Keep it up! You are 1 of 4 channels (that I subscribe to) that do reactions to Canadian content.1 is also American and the remaining 2 are Aussie. You are, by far, the most interesting to watch. I look forward to your new vids when they drop. Please keep up the absolutely fantastic job! Cheers from 🇨🇦!
Thanks for this man. Canadian here, trying to brush up on global history, let alone my country’s own. This is so respectful and it just-camaraderie videos are a fresh change of pace vs a lot of the unimportant vitriol abound. Subbed big time
![ค้างคืนโรงเก็บกระสวยอวกาศร้างกลางทะเลทราย [Around The World Ep. 3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E5bWZQhABJE/mqdefault.jpg)
The Dutch have a saying. "The Germans stole our food, the Canadians stole our hearts."
Yes, we did, and we'll never let you go. 🇨🇦❤🌷🇨🇦❤🌷🇨🇦❤
That’s beautiful.
My father would be proud to hear that
That’s tear jerking ❤🇨🇦
I never knew that but I love it
As a 38 year old Dutchie I get very emotional in a positive way. EVERYTHING you see in our country wouldnt be this way if the Canadians didnt come to liberate the Netherlands. They are our heroes and saved our families. We can not thank them enough. So again Thank you Canada.
Sure buddy. Very greatfull too. We visit their graves every year and lay down some flowers.
@Steve Mar. Wow! The Dutch are very cognisant of who risked, and gave, their lives for them. They're taught very young about the British, the Canadians, the Americans. Mr. van der Neut isn't decrying any of that. What he is saying is that without the Canadians it wouldn't be what it is today. Neither would it be what it is without the British or Americans, etc. But because this is specifically about the Dutch and the Canadian relationship his comment is about the Canadians.
Apart from that, I'm not entirely sure that the relationship between the Dutch and the other Nations who helped in the Liberation of the Netherlands have quite as close a connection for whatever reason.
Please allow Mr. van der Neut to express his gratitude for Canada without asking where that same gratitude is for the others. It's there, I'm sure, but he's responding to this video on Canada. And that's ok.
You're very welcome. ❤🇨🇦❤🇨🇦 We love the Dutch and the beautiful tulips that we receive every year. 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
But also the American people etc…
@@stevemar.6758 yeah buddy if you really want some praise we can give it to you as well. As a Canadian it's in my mentality to share
I'm Dutch, my parents were young children during the war. My grandmother did not survive the cold "hunger winter" of 1944/1945.
I was in a Canadian shopping mall when I saw a man doing book signing. It was a book about his bomber days over Europe during WW2.
It turned out he had taken part in the "food droppings" over Holland during the last weeks of the war..
My parents were on the receiving end of those droppings in these days.
I was grateful to be able to shake this man's hand and thank him for what he did for us.
That’s such a nice story of your personal experience. I am genuinely sorry that your grandmother was a victim of that terrible war.
Wow, just wow, i don't know what else to say! Maar je begrijpt vast ik bedoel.😉
This made me tear up. I’m grateful you’re mother survived and you survived and got to shake this Canadian’s hand. Many blessings 👍❤️🌷
My Great Grandfather is in this briefly. He travelled back to the Netherlands many many times after the war. He just turn 100 years old this year. Very proud of him and proud to be Canadian.
Tell your grandfather that I thank him. That Canada thanks him!
concrats to your grandfather, and tell him, we thank him that he liberated us, greetings from the Netherlands
Is he immortal? That's older than Queen Elizabeth!
@@toddboyce3599 he is immortal...he was/is a liberator, the Dutch will keep what he's done in their fondest memories as well as their history classes! He and all other Dutch Liberators are thus, immortal!
Thank him for his service. Witth whom did he serve? I wonder if he was in the same areas as my father.
Our friendship runs deep. The Dutch Royal family went into exile in 1940 and were sheltered in Canada. Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa Civiv hospital. The entire maternity ward was declared Dutch territory, so that she could be born a Dutch citizen. The Netherlands yearly sends thousands of tulip bulbs to Canada in gratitude. They are beautiful arrayed in our capital each spring. Regarding accents in the 40’s and earlier most of our immigrants were from the UK. It wasn’t unusual to hear Canadians with English and Scottish accents. I myself was born in Canada to a British war bride ( my dad was Canadian ) my mum was a little homesick and a tad leery of those “ Wild Canadians “ There were six English war brides in our little town, and they kind of stuck together at first. My dad worked on the railway, so being away long periods of time…..I and my friends all had English accents and terminology once I was in school for a while I lost my accent. My Mum died young at 42 but she never lost herEnglish accent.
Actually, that's not true. The maternity ward was declared extraterritorial, so that she wouldn't be born British. Because the British follow the rule of "jus soli" ("right of soil"), by declaring the maternity ward extraterritorial, aka (very simply) international, Margriet would be born Dutch, following the Dutch rule of jus saguinis ("right of blood"). From Wikipedia "It is a common misconception that the Canadian government declared the maternity ward to be Dutch territory. That was not necessary, as Canada follows jus soli, while the Netherlands follows jus sanguinis. It was sufficient for Canada to disclaim the territory temporarily."
@@VeryCherryCherry Thank you for the correct information…..I had always heard it the other way. I may be 77, but one is never too old to learn.
@@cheryla7480 I just recently learned that myself. Cheers!
@@toddboyce3599 Nobody “ took” anything. It was offered. That’s why Princess Margriet is only a Dutch citizen, and n9t possessing dual citizenship.
Peter Mansbridge himself was born in England.
I am proud that Canada is recognized the world over as a polite, peaceful people, but will push comes to shove against crimes of humanity. We lay down our lives to defend those who need defending 🇨🇦♥️ I am proud to be a Canadian
Well said. Very well said.
Me too, Mike. Me too.
Canada at peace: “I’m sorry”
Canada at war: “You are sorry”
Huh, I played Jr and college hockey against Western Canadians.....they were not so polite. Things might be different now, but back in the day, those boys would drop their gloves in a heartbeat.
We are 🇨🇦💪
In 2017 my daughter, a corporal in the Canadian forces, marched through several liberated towns in the Netherlands. Hospital patients insisted on being pushed outside to see our troops pass. She said it was such an honour to represent those who had earned these peoples gratitude.
Amazing!
Hospital patients... I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying ❤
The Dutch young people continue to carry this on, even with younger Canadians. The bond won’t end.
John, I am a 1st gen Canadian born to Liberated Dutch immigrants. I was the 3rd of 4 kids. My Father’s quiet wish was that 1 of his children would grow up to be a Canadian Forces soldier. He arrived at the YMCA in Winnipeg with 2 brothers and a sister (his remaining 6 siblings remained in Holland as they had their own families). The deal was once they secured work and a place to live they’d repay the YMCA for food and shelter. The jobs that were supposed to be awaiting them were never realized. He was 19 then so he and his older brother set out found work while his sister cared for his 14 yr old brother. The YMCA refused to let them pay back the cost room and board. Unbeknownst to him, I went to recruiting and waited for the call that came in Feb of ‘89. I got home late for dinner from signing my Oath to Queen and Country. He barked “your mother slaves all day cleaning and cooking and you come home late for supper. My mom knew what I was upto. I dropped my Oath in front of him. It was the first and only time I saw his eyes wet. He lived near Appledoorn and was liberated by Canadians, his dream was finally realized with that Oath I took. Both he and my mother are as grateful as those who remained in Holland if not even more so for being allowed to immigrate to Canada. He said they wouldn’t take his money when he wanted to pay his room and board but, he felt his debt to Canada was paid in full because his eldest son joined the CF. This video, of the Dutch people’s gratitude is as vivid for me today as it was the day I took the Oath. I had to dry my eyes before I wrote this because I to, even though I am a Canadian am just as thankful for the Liberators as he, my mother and whole extended family are. Thank-you.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
Thank you for your service.
What a beautiful story; thank you for sharing it! No doubt, you made your family very proud, indeed. Thank you for your service to Canada.
No... Thank you!
🇳🇱👬🇨🇦
Peter Mansbridge was a national news anchor for all of Canada for many years. He is iconic here in Canada.
Peter Mansbridge was our Walter Cronkite.
@@CraftAero I totally agree. I really liked Walter Cronkite. I'll never forget his announcing the death of John Kennedy. I couldn't stop crying.
Peter was a doing a report here in Vancouver right on the Granville Street Bridge next to my building. I ran out to see him before I remembered that we're 3 hours behind Toronto so he was long gone! 😂 He was superb in all of his interviews, especially Gord Downie.
Peter Mansbridege on CBC when news was news miss those days! So sad now 😢 CBC=PROPAGANDA NOW! Sorry to get political, but truth is truth!
Peter Mansbridge was discovered by a CBC Radio manager in 1968 when he was making an announcement over the intercom at the airport in Churchill, Manitoba.
I was born in Netherlands. My parents lived through the war, my mother having lived in Rotterdam which was bombed flat and at age 16 weighed 65 lbs. My father from a family of 9. He stole whatever he could to survive. I am now Canadian and these stories always bring tears to me. I am a proud Dutch/Canadian. Thank you for this. I’m on my way to Netherlands in a month.
You’re quite welcome and I’m just happy to be able to tell the stories of the people that made a difference. I admire both Canada and the Netherlands. I have also studied the history of my home state, NY. The Dutch influence from the early days when we were New Amsterdam, in the colony of New Netherlands, still informs a lot of what NY is today. Religious freedom and ethnic tolerance started and remains a hallmark of New Amsterdam aka NYC.
Canadians..The Dutch people will never forget this! R.I.P for the ones that never made it home🙏. God bless you all.❤❤ from the Netherlands
In 2008, I was privileged to spend a week in the Netherlands and participate in their Liberation parade in Wageningen. I've been in a lot of parades in Canada and the US, and this blew me away. The number of people lining the streets to welcome back their liberators was incredible. I felt like I was in one of those newsreel movies. Their love for Canadians is unmatched.
I love it.
Canadians were there for them then and I know we would be no different today. 🇨🇦❤️🇳🇱
absolutely
If Canada ever needs it, whatever token force we Dutch can muster, will come brothers
@@Doug.Dimmadomedon't count yourself weak. The Dutch are a strong people. Just a small nation. But this is where our allies come in my friend.
Canada and the Dutch. Same with Ukraine and Poland and our other allies.
You can't bully a group of small countries when they all punch a weight class or 3 above and our total is bigger too.
My neighbours for a number of years were a wonderful couple from Holland. He had been a farmer all of his life, tough and rugged, still doing heavy work even in his later years. We were discussing the war one day and he was telling me what it had been like under occupation when I noticed a tear in his eye. He looked at me and said, “They came all the way from their homes to save us and gave their lives”.
Dutch families tend the many Canadian graves in Holland to this day. In fact, there is a waiting list to be a family that has the privilege and responsibility of caring for the grave of a fallen Canadian soldier. Beyond the yearly donation of 20,000 tulip bulbs that grace our capitol city every spring, this commitment by individual Dutch citizens is moving beyond words. On a similar theme, there is an old clip of a young Belgian boy saluting marching Canadian troops, and receiving a return salute.
Thank you so much for caring all these years later.
A freakin waiting list... Thank you all 🇨🇦
@@TheDylls IKR? That's called stepping up.
@@TheDyllsand people say Canadians are nice?! A waiting list??? That's absolutely amazing, and truly humbling.
I think the Dutch might just have us beat!! 😂
@@jonathanbrowne9538 They're definitely putting forward a strong case!!
(Time to wage a "Politeness War" against them! 😂❤️)
I was a piper and drummer for the military and never had the opportunity to make it to the celebrations with the rest of the Canadians. However, I was once doing a remembrance service and the minister told us a story. She was back in her Dutch father's home and as they were driving the country side, her dad yelled for her to stop the car. She thought something was wrong, as her dad got out of the car, walked across the road into a field and fell to his knees in tears. As she followed him and helped him up, she asked what was wrong. The dad replied that's where they came from, over that hill. She asked where who came from. The dad replied, the Canadians. That's where they came from and saved us.
It was a touching story to hear. To hear an elderly man describe what he saw, almost like he was a child again, watching his town become free, once again.
My father was born in 1941 in Gouda (province of South Holland). Even at 4 years of age, he still distinctly remembers the Canadian liberators coming into the city! Even now (he's 82), he remembers sitting on one soldier's lap, who gave him some candies. He remembers the look on the soldier's face - one of compassion, and longing to be home.
The starvation was a reality. My dad lost his hair due to malnutrition. He still remembers hiding under the bunk beds when the air raid siren rang out as Rotterdam was being bombed. Some things you never forget.
So it was that his eldest brother, post war, came to Canada, and paved the way for his mom and other siblings to also come.
Every year, on the anniversary of the liberation, we fly the Canadian and Netherland's flags high and proud.
While traveling in the Netherlands, wearing anything that has the Canada flag is sure to get you noticed, and may just spark up a conversation - especially with the elderly, those who were there.
Great reaction John! Thanks.
Thanks so much for sharing your father's story. It's so important to remember.
Not just the Dutch but also Norwegians. I attended a funeral for a friend who had been twice honored by the Norwegian King. He said he was Norwegian by birth but Canadian by choice. The Norwegian ambassador flew out from Ottawa to attend. He made an emotional speech thanking the Canadians for giving his people their country back. He had tears in his eyes.
Our ancestors are from these lands.
Canadian. But my direct ancestor is Rollo of normandy. Danish or Norwegian if memory serves but nobody knows exactly for certain.
Western provinces are heavily populated by families from Ukrainian polish and Dutch roots. Same with all over.
We may be a new nation bur as we've shown with 2 world wars. Even when it costs us we don't forget our roots.
Quebec has a large Jewish population so does ontario.
We don't forget our roots.
I'm a Canadian living in Europe
The respect that the Canadian passport holds here, well it is astounding.
I'll never give it up.
I’m sitting here having a good cry. My dad served then, radio operator in a tank. He’s been gone almost 30 years now, and I am so proud of him.
And you are deservedly proud. Thank you, from me, a Dutchie, to your dad. Life is good here, thanks to people like him.
the whole thing was far more complicated than a history lesson can tell. It wasn't because Canadians liberated the Netherlands but how. With astonishing bravery fearlessness determination in total disregard of their own lives. These men walked into the jaws of death with calm resoluteness because it was better to die and win than live and loose. This is not nostalgic remembrance but the truth in a nut shell. My parents grand parents ants and uncles lived it out in person. The freedom was hard won for someone else.
I believe there was 7,600 Canadians who died liberating the Netherlands.
My uncle served in the Netherlands with Princess Patricia light infantry in WWII, he also served in Normandy. Canadians are reveared for our brave service and the liberation of so many 🇨🇦 🍁
Thank you Canada! From Amsterdam
dutchy here! am very grateful to the canadians who came to liberate us
They still send tulips to Canada every year. I visited Ottawa in June, 20+ years ago and there were tulips everywhere. I am halfway through the video writing this. Great video sir, thank you.
When I went to the Netherlands in 1980 the Canadians on our bus tour were also treated this way & where I live we always have tulips donated to us from them, it’s so beautiful & the Capital of Canada (Ottawa) have even more Tulips given to them😁❤️ The Dutch are a beautiful people & Will remember forever❤️
My father was a Canadian soldier during the Second World War . He was in Holland ,what he saw haunted him for the rest of his life . He befriended a young Dutch boy and gave him food and chocolate as much as he could . During the 50s this little Dutch boy whose name I have forgotten found my Father again in Halifax ,Nova Scotia . Their bond was like Father and son .
Thats amazing. U have an amazing father!
I visited the Netherlands in the mid '90s. I went into a bank one day to get some currency exchanged, and they wouldn't charge me a service fee when they found out I was Canadian.
I moved to the Netherlands in 2000 and driving from the airport to my new home I saw a horse drawn wagon, covered in flowers with a huge sign saying "Thank You Canada". Over my 12 years there I saw and felt the love the Dutch have for we Canadians. Memories have not faded with them.
Thank you so much for your reaction John.
My father was part of the Liberation of Holland. He landed at Juno Beach. Later in life he went back with my Mom to visit a “boy” he had helped there during the war. They held a parade for him! Still makes me cry thinking about it. So very proud of him. ❤️🇨🇦
It is unsettling for me to contemplate sometimes that I would not exist if Germany had not invaded the Netherlands. My paternal grandmother lived in Rotterdam, and experienced the horrors of that occupation. She married a Canadian soldier and moved to Canada in 1945. My father was born from that marriage. When I was a teenager, my grandmother told me about some of her experiences during the war. I know she held back many things.
🇨🇦 war brides came from a lot of places and found a home for a family here. My great aunt was one, landed on the east coast, took a train "that lasted forever it seemed" to go all the way west.
A rear admiral's surgeon's daughter from England.
@@toddboyce3599 Are you a Scientologist?
@@ninemoonplanet Not to forget that many German POW's in Canada returned to Canada after being sent back to Germany at war's end. Germany was in such a mess that they saw no hope for the future. They returned to Canada because they were treated so well and because they saw a better future here. They've become excellent citizens.
Why? I’m Dutch and see it different. You are here because people give about people to help us. You are here because of love not because of a war ❤️
When I was in the Army I was stationed in Washington and we would go to Canada some weekends and it was a blast! Some of the nicest people i have ever met in Canada.
You're a beautiful soul John, God bless all our fallen soldiers, Canadian and American, their sacrifice will never be forgotten ❤
I went to Holland when I was 18 as a World War buff and virgin traveller... I NEVER expected the kindness from the Dutch for JUST being Canadian. It got to a point where too many free drinks were bought and we eventually said "We appreciate it very much, but we dont want free drinks on our grandfathers bravery and Grandmothers work at home".... almost all replied to it by basically saying "Well their work is why I, my dad, mom, uncle etc etc etc survived the war and are here today. Canadians gave their weeks rations and any money they had on them to us while we starved on tulip bulbs and other roots" Didnt matter if they experienced it first hand, or were our age and only taught about it.... but their grandparents and parents all had a personal story to tell. Every hotel owner wanted to talk to us to see if they knew out last names from possibly friends from wartime as well. Which we thought only Canadians do "I know Mike Abootman from Calgary! hows he doin?" lol
Very Emotional, salute to Canadian Veterans!.
Excuse my English, a Dutchie here A very emotional and great video is about that every Dutch person adopted the graves of the fallen hero’s. Till this day the graves been cleaned, put flowers on because there families good not do it for them. And to thank them. Also every year candles lighting up on the graveyards. We are thankful to the fallen and to their families. And we have to make sure we remember. It changed Europe. Like they said you have to be taking away your freedom to know.
I'm so glad to hear from a Dutch person about this subject. Please, no need to apologize for your English. It is quite good. I thank you for your wonderful reflections. Peace from New York.
🇺🇸🦅🇳🇱🇨🇦🇬🇧🇵🇱
Peter Mansbridge is a Canadian icon. When he retired he left with a beautiful goodbye on air.
The CBC has changed. Mostly female announcers.
@@keithpeterson5127 nothin wrong with that!
Thank you for this video; my grandfather was part of the liberation army as a pilot. Thankfully he came home or else I wouldn't be here. He died when i was quite little but he always planted tulips in the garden in rememberance of the Dutch people he helped set free. To this day my flower beds have tulips of all colours.
On a side note thank you for bringing this to the attention of a wider, hopefully American audience. I married a Texan and lived there until he passed a way and we raised our family there. When my oldest was learning about WW2 in history I was appalled to learn that Canada was NOT mentioned as fighting in this war!!! I wrote a very irate letter to the govenor and the school board, my son was so outraged that he did an entire report on exactly what the Canadian forces contributed to the war including taking my great uncle and grandfather's medals with him when he presented it. I was so gosh darn proud of him that day, lol. The teacher didn't know what to say and i mean what could she say the proof was in the pudding as they say. Anyway great job on all your thoughtful and intelligent content on topics that Canadians are proud of but too humble to brag about.
:]Love your channel!
Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it. I am a Dutch Canadian. My whole life, I heard stories from my mother about the war. Yes, my mother ate tulip bulbs, too. Yet I never knew exactly what those courageous Canadian heroes did. Thank you for educating me and for the video that followed. Makes me sad about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Seeing two kids with their back packs on laying in the street dead. Have we not learned anything? Anyway, thanks once again for this! Incidentally, my Mom is 91 now. It's scary to think about what may have been. I lost my grandfather (Dutch soldier) during that war. My Mom was 12, so I wouldn't have existed.
Thank you dear Canadians, Americans, Polish and British for liberating my country 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇵🇱🇬🇧 ❤🇳🇱 we will never forget.
Canada heeft ons bevrijd .americanen waren voor de helft omgelopen omdat ze zogenaamd de weg kwijt waren en de andere helft bombarderde rotterdam en vlogen daarna meteen door naar berlijn om de buit te delen daar met england en rusland.jaren lang hebben wij ze miljoenen gegeven ervoor terwijl de canadezen nog geen stuiver van ons wouwen aannemen
@@gerritkortland2784 Nee hoor, de Amerikanen hebben evengoed delen van ons land bevrijd. Weet je hoeveel jonge Amerikaanse soldaten begraven liggen bij Margraten? 💔 Die hebben hun leven gegeven om ons te bevrijden van de nazi's. Na de bevrijding hielp de VS ons economisch met hun Marshallplan. We hebben enorm veel te danken aan ze en dat mogen we nooit vergeten.
@@dichi3163 ja minimaal Aantal . Denk onderhand meer films dan lichamen
Thank you. Even 80 years on, Dutch families honor our boys by maintaining and decorating their graves, whether US, Canadian, Polish or Brits. It’s beautiful. Especially because there are waiting lists and many graves have been passed by wills to the younger generations of a family after the deaths of the older. 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇳🇱🇵🇱🇬🇧
Watching all these veterans and the absolute pride they have for their great accomplishments makes me so damned proud to be Canadian
Makes me vicariously proud of Canadians too.
The Dutch government send Canada thousands of tulip bulbs every year to thank us for the liberation. Every year!
Thank you John for this wonderful reminder of the kinship between the Dutch and Canadians. I know the story well having heard it from my Dad who was a soldier in the Canadian Army during WW II. Really enjoyed the report by Peter Mansbridge as well as your comments. Coming from a patriotic family where 3 uncles and both my parents served it was nice to hear how the Dutch remember their liberators. ❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
The canadians freed the town i grew up in. The very hospital i was born in was free'd by them. If not for the collective efforts of the allied i mightve not been born. So many of us need to be thankfull to the canadians just for that fact. The war is often forgotten.
Aussie here. thanks for showing. I am moved..
I was in Amsterdam in the early 70s and they really do love Canadians. I visited where Anne Frank stayed and saw the attic. Very moving experience.
I have been to The Netherlands and also visited the Anne Frank house and visited the memorial sites. So many tributes to Canada all over. All my Uncles and my Dad fought in WW2 and my Dad raised us to never forget. So visiting these places where battles were fought and won, the graves of soldiers lost and also the places where inhumanity was at its worst is so meaningful in making sure we do never forget. I love that the children in The Netherlands take part in the Remembrance Day activities and pay tribute to those that liberated their families. It is very touching.
17:14 "The little thing we did". This phrase always makes me both crack up and tear up every single time I hear it.
For them, it was just another day at the office. For everyone else, it was everything.
I have to say, you are one of the most empathetic people I’ve seen. Your desire to learn through the pain and suffering of others is written on your face and you are often on the verge of tears. The world needs more John F’s especially these days through strife and turmoil.
Thank You Canada greetings from The Netherlands
Thank you for this. I really appreciate your respectful tone and historic introduction. We will indeed never forget the Canadians, nor the Americans
I still to this day run into Dutch Canadians who express their love and appreciation for Canada and all that she had done for the Netherlands. From all ages. They truly are a lovely people.
When Peter Mansbridge was nineteen years old, he was working at the airport in Churchill, Manitoba ---- yes the town famous for polar bears romping around its streets. Part of his job was to announce planes arriving and departing. When Gaston Charpentier, the manager of a CBC radio station heard his voice over the intercom, he hired him on the spot to host a local music show in Thompson, Manitoba. Mansbridge rapidly moved up CBC's talent ladder. By 1988, he was the co-anchor of the flagship national news hour, working with the venerable Knowlton Nash. CBS offered him a spot in the U.S.. To prevent Mansbridge from leaving the country, Nash resigned his post and insisted that Mansbridge replace him. Good call. I often saw Mansbridge walking down my street, which was around the corner from the CBC station in Toronto.
Yes, the Dutch never forget. When I visited the Netherlands, if anyone found out I was Canadian, they treated me like royalty. The documentary doesn't mention that every year, the Netherlands sends thousands of tulip bulbs to Ottawa, and in the spring and summer the city is carpeted with tulips.
It is so special to me. My grandmother came to Canada from the Netherlands in the 50's.
I had a neighbor that was dutch he passed away a few years ago, he was great for telling stories about growing up in wartime Holland ,eating tulip bulbs, he joined the canadian military as a musician, as many Dutch did in the 1950,s.
My parents “Dutch” lived in the Netherlands during ww2 ,they suffered greatly. My mother saw resistance fighters shot to death as a little girl. She and my dad also saw much more horror . My uncle was blown up beside my mom while they were walking looking for firewood to keep warm. They were rescued by Canadian soldiers who treated the Dutch people like family. They lost family members by the score. They managed to save and we moved and immigrated to Canada in 1965. Our gratitude to Canada is still in our hearts ❤️ our family in Holland still loves Canadians , the feelings have been passed down from parents to children. Thanks to all Canadian soldiers and their families that came from them for their sacrifice for freedom 😢peace
God bless you for all the love. A thankful Canadian ❤
Yes, we love the Canadians for many reasons. I herewith are sending you a big hug from the Netherlands. Godbless.
Hi again John, 48th Highlanders were and still are a Toronto regiment. When I was in the 25 Toronto Service Battalion - Transportation Company, I had quite a few friends from that regiment.
As a Canadian I am very proud by Canada's role in defeating the Nazis.
As you should be. In my humble opinion anyway. Always punching above your weight.
Another terrific and informative video. Thank you John to remind me, as a Canadian, that these awesome historic events are often overlooked. Not really forgotten, but pushed to the back of our minds I suppose to make room for all of the current events that take up so much of our lives these days. Watching this video wakes a person up to the real important events that changed people’s lives. Both of my parents served overseas in WW2, dad was Canadian Army. He served on the transportation units(trains) of course the bridges and rail tracks were bombed regularly. His unit also had the horrific job of picking up the death camp survivors, many of them died along the way and were given a proper burial near the tracks.😢 mum was in the British Airforce, they met at a dance and married in England in 1944. They came to Canada a year later. I have a treasure trove of their military memorabilia.
Nice to hear from you again.
Yes, this is taught in our schools as well.
Canada also passed legislation so the hospital room the young princess was being born in was given Dutch ownership so she would still hold Dutch citizenship. The Dutch Royal family lived in Canada in exile during the war. Seems kind of predestined that the cdns would then liberate the country.
This is in my top 5 videos for reactors to watch. As a Canadian, I search for those specific reactions probably once a week.
Thank you for this ❤
Wow, thank you!
From Canada I always look forward to your clip . We have many families of Canadian Army Soldiers bringing back War Brides from Holland . My next door neighbor is the daughter of a Dutch War Bride . There are many Fountains in Parks that are donated by the Dutch . As I understand the Dutch maintain the Canadian Military Cemeteries in Holland , according to my Dutch friend . C A McLean
My Grandfathers regiment took part in the liberation. While he walked down the road, a lady ran out of her house and gave him a tiny porcelain shoe to show her gratitude. He gave it to my Great Grandmother when he came home and when she passed, it was given to me. I have no idea how old it is though it looks very old, indeed, nor its monitary value. The sentimental value is pricesless. A tiny bit of history i hold in my hand and remember Grandad and his wonderful stories and the Dutch lady who probably gave him the very best she had.
As a Dutch person I am willing to bet that it was not only the most valuable thing she had, but she excused that she didn't have more to give. And it was well earned, having heard stories from my grandparents about the suffering during the war, our gratitude will always remain.
What a beautiful memory! Thank you for sharing.
Last year...2022. I received in the mail a pin in the shape of a torch from the "kingdom of the Netherlands" commemorating the families of the men who had liberated Holland in a card with the pin. Imagine! How did they know! I served in the US Army from 65-68 and have a hat to that effect...I pinned the Dutch award on my hat with great pride! Honour for my Dad and respect totally! BTW I am a Canadian though I served in the US Vietnam era.
My Dad was with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders on D Day ...the ONLY Allied unit to exceed the day one objectives, Dad also went to the Scheldt Estuary campaign which led to the liberation of Holland. The Dutch have NEVER forgotten Canada and we have tons of Dutch immigrants who have added greatly to our country.
Much life and respect to your dad for his amazing contribution to the liberation of Europe
Loved this video.. and it definitely put tears in my eyes. Wars are abhorrent and it makes me very sad and angry that they happen and cause immeasurable suffering. This makes me proud to be Canadian too, and I'm glad there is still good in human beings to help those who need it.
My father was one of those Canadians who liberated Appledorn. He always held the Dutch in such respect after seeing what they had endured. We are so very proud of him..
Much respect to your Dad.
My Uncle Garnet was one of those Canadian soldiers.
We love and miss Peter! I'm glad he peaked your interest too. He has that magical voice and passion.
Hope you and your family are well! ❤️
My uncle Harry Gervais was killed during the liberation. The street sign Gervaisstraat is in his memory. The street where he was born in the village of La Passe Ontario was also renamed Gervaisstraat
Wonderful John! Now for our Highway of Heroes!!
My brother in-law father was born in Holland and 12 years old when the war ended. He immigrated to Canada and married a Dutch girl who also immigrated and bought a farm. He told me once that he remember the day the Canadian came and liberated the village. He and his family though these men were amazing. The soldiers also share their rations as the people were starving. The German had taking everything, they could find. Several Canadian died in the battle for the village, their names are honoured every year. School children are taught their names so their sacrifices are not forgotten. I’ve alway thought the Dutch really know what freedom means much like Ukrainians know today what freedom cost.
The Dutch have never forgotten. Thank you John for this moving piece...I just love your warm, thoughtful, articulate commentary as always. And yes, Peter Mansbridge is a Canadian treasure to be sure. We were so lucky he didn't leave Canada to make bigger $$ as an American journalist. I see similarities between you and him. You are both such lovely men.
Living in Germany nowadays as a Dutchman, people here dont understand our gratitude for those who liberated my grandparents. They partly cannot understand it, cause the gratitude my grandparents experienced that day is passed on to the next generations. The freedom we enjoy these days has come with an unimaginable sacrifice. And that gratitude i was thought by my grandparents i will pass on to my kids and friends. (even if it is abit to deaf men's ears) Even if it is Germany
This Story has all ways resonated with me. My Grandparents on my mothers side both immigrated to Canada as children from the Netherlands after the war and i have heard some of the stories from the war (unfortunately some were never passed down from my Great grand parents). My great Uncle on my fathers side fought to liberate the Netherlands. i inherited a few years back a clog he brought back for my grand mother as a gift.
one fact that was not mentioned is the story of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. when the Netherlands were occupied the royal family fled to Canada. while they were there a Hospital room in Ottawa was temporarily given to the Dutch so that the new born princes could be born a Dutch citizen.
During a veteran's dinner in 2005, a legislator was one of the guest speakers. His family was Dutch and he was a young boy during the occupation. Of course he is much older now, but recounted seeing the faces of the young Canadian soldiers as they liberated their town. He spoke the Canadians smiling and waving at the kids, being very friendly and handing out whatever food they could find. He said the atmosphere certainly changed in their town. Anyhow, there were young Canadian soldiers attending this Veterans dinner, all dressed up in their DEU's. As he spoke about his childhood experiences he glanced over at the young Canadian soldiers and said "I remember all of the beautiful young faces of heroes...much like you", then he started weeping. Gratitude.
The accent the General had was what is referred to as "Canadian Dainty." Used by the early 20th century upper crust Canadians.
It's a Toronto thing.
John - Please look into Leo Major. A Canadian WW2 hero who helped liberate Holland, and if he were an American there would already be 10 movies about him. His story is so crazy but true!
I'm sure I read he was born in 1921, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to French Canadian parents, Major moved with his family to Montreal before his first birthday.
When Canadians saw what was happening in the Netherlands, taking down Hitler temporarily became a secondary war goal
The liberation and feeding of Europe was more important, General Crerar was hellbent on making sure no German troops would remain in occupied territories before reaching Germany and made it his personal mission to do everything he could to minimize destruction and casualties to civilians in north-west Europe after being almost powerless to prevent the destruction and killing of civilians in Italy
Much love from Canada, Netherlands
Thank you once again, John, for another enjoyable and informative video. I feel that Peter Mansbridge is such a wonderful storyteller and interviewer, in addition to being a trusted and respected journalist and news anchor. He's absolutely a legend in the Canadian media; knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and with a keen sense of humour! Retired now, but welcomed into Canadian livingrooms every weeknight for decades.
The Dutch have always been very vocal with their gratitude and respect to Canada with respect to Canadians' role in the liberation of their country. Are you also aware that the Dutch royal family went into exile when the Netherlands was occupied by the German Nazis in 1940. Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa on January 19, 1943, daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. The maternity ward of Ottawa General Hospital was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial, being Dutch territory, so that the Princess was born in the Netherlands. Each spring, in gratitude, the government of The Netherlands sends Ottawa thousands of multi-colored tulips in recognition of the hospitality shown to their Royal family.
Honored to have known a great man who was there during that time. Recently passed in his 103rd year. Would always tell of the kindness of the Dutch people and how welcoming they where. He would go back from time to time to visit.
The man and woman that gave me freedom,thank you thank you thank you❤❤
My dad was serving in the Netherlands , I’m very proud of him .🇨🇦
My father fought in Holland. He never really talked about it.
Hey...nice to hear from you again.
John the Dutch Royal Family stayed in Ottawa during the war and Princess Margriet was born here. For the birth the maternity ward at the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared extraterritorial for the birth, ensuring the baby would have Dutch citizenship alone. The princess regularly visits Ottawa. Holland continues to send tulips to Ottawa as a gift. The Canadian Tulip Festival 12 to 22 May is a legacy of this gift. each year more than one million tulips bloom across Ottawa
In those days the gender was only known at birth, it could have been a boy, and therefor successor to the throne. Nowadays it's the first born, no matter its gender. Margriet, who was born in Canada as third child, remained second in line because her sister in between gave up her rights.
Next to Queen Beatrix, she took up a lot of work to represent the royal family and worked for charity. She is very much appreciated.
@@dutchman7623 Her birthday was the only time a foriegn flag flew on our Parliament buildings. There is a story behind why they made the materinty room extraterritorial It had to do with being born in Canada would make the baby him/her a Canadian citizen.
"The maternity ward of the hospital was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government. This ensured that the newborn would not be born in Canada, and not be a British subject under the rule of jus soli “
As a Dutchman, I would like the thank the Canadians one more time. My grandparents lived in occupied Haarlem, in North Holland. That part of the Netherlands was one of the last places to be liberated. They lived through what’s known as the “hunger winter”. My grandfather was send to the tulip fields between Leiden & Haarlem, to dig up tulip bulbs to bring home. They would cook them, so that their families had at least something to eat. My grandmother was send to a farm in the province of Friesland, because she was sick and so weak that she wouldn’t have survived that winter. My grandparents would always tell about the Canadians when they arrived in Haarlem, during the Remembrance and Liberation day on the 4th & 5th of May. You can still find some old footage on TH-cam when these liberators arrived in Haarlem.
@Steve Mar. well the British and American forces were mainly focused on invading Germany. North Holland in the west, wasn’t a priority for allied command. This is why the western part of the Netherlands was almost exclusively liberated by the Canadians. British & American forces were concentrated in the east of the country, in what is known as Operation Market Garden. This is also the reason why the west of the Netherlands almost starved during the winter of 1944-45. Simply because the Allies were more focused on invading and defeating Germany.
Thank you for reviewing this video. I think it's important that, no matter where you are from, you understand history and especially the sacrifices and sufferings of those before us.
My heart aches watching this. Aches. To hate another so much to do that sort of damage is unfathomable to me. Love to our Dutch allies. 🇨🇦❤️
Highlander is a pretty common unit term of the army of that era but the 48th Highlanders were largely from Toronto part of the 1st Canadian Division. They were one of the many Canadian Units that missed out on D-Day as they were still fighting in Italy. In 1945 they redeployed to Northern Europe to aid in the liberation of the Netherlands. Of note the 48th Highlanders Pipes and Drums is the group that opens the Toronto Maple Leaf's home season every year by marching on the ice and has done so since 1931.
My second cousin in WWl and my uncle in WWll were members of the 48th Highlanders. Both killed and buried overseas.
the glamour boys
The Dutch will never forget what the Canadians did for us in World War II
The Dutch Royal Family came to Canada during the War. Princess Margriet was born here - the hospital ward being declared by Canada to be Dutch Territory as Margriet was due to be the Dutch Monarch some day (and did). The Dutch give us tulips every year and are everywhere in Canada as a 'thanks'. The Dutch also gave us Holstein cows as a 'thanks'. The Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Holland make you cry - they are so pristine, so beautiful, so maintained with the Dutch themselves making them pristine as a 'thanks'. A Canadian today travelling to or through Holland won't believe how he's treated by the Dutch. I can only hope that he knows why.
Dutch children would also put a lit candle on the Cdn graves on Christmas eve.
Margriet was not in line to be queen. She was 3rd born. Her oldest sister Beatrix was in line and became queen after Juliana, their mother, retired. Whilemina, Juliana's mother was queen during the war years.
True heroes. They gave back our freedom, our hope and our pride. We always teach the next generation to honor them. Because they are the reason we can live the way we do now.
Thank you for this video. I was raised to respect our vets, even though I knew this story this video still got to me. Thanks again
In January 1946 a lot of children were born thanks to the Dutch (female) gratitude towards Canadian soldiers.
Most Dutch young man were send to Germany to work in the Nazi war industry which got bombed on a daily base and loads of them never returned after the war because they got killed during one of these countless bombing raids.
Hey John. Love the intro you've been using for the past few vids. Also got to say, as an American, you absolutely blow me away by your knowledge of Canada and interest to learn more about us. Keep it up! You are 1 of 4 channels (that I subscribe to) that do reactions to Canadian content.1 is also American and the remaining 2 are Aussie. You are, by far, the most interesting to watch. I look forward to your new vids when they drop. Please keep up the absolutely fantastic job! Cheers from 🇨🇦!
Thanks for this man. Canadian here, trying to brush up on global history, let alone my country’s own.
This is so respectful and it just-camaraderie videos are a fresh change of pace vs a lot of the unimportant vitriol abound. Subbed big time