In 1945 Canadian troops were instrumental in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.

The Dutch Royal family fled the invading army in 1940 and Princess Juliana, heir to the throne, and her family were given refuge in Canada.

Over 2300 Canadian graves are tended and cared for by the Dutch people.

The 60th anniversary of VE-Day. in the year of the Veteran may be the last time many of the dwindling numbers of Canadian vets of WWII will return to the country that has shown it’s gratitude all these years. 120,000 Dutch men were sent as slave labour to Germany, and 130,000 Jews were assaulted, murdered or deported to death camps in Poland.
As the German troops stripped the country of food and supplies 230,000 Dutch civilians died during the war, 18,000 succumbing to starvation in the last winter alone.
In gratitude for the Canadian effort and their harbouring of the royal family, the Dutch gave the Canadian capital of Ottawa a spectacular and living legacy, a gift of 1 million tulips.

A huge parade was held in the Netherlands Sunday for the Canadian war participants.
The four leaders of the federal parties were in Holland Monday not Sunday as originally planned.
Reports say the leaders didn’t speak to each other on the flight over.
They came come under heavy criticism from Canadian veterans for being no shows Sunday and their lack of respect and inability to set aside their own acrimony for such an important memorial.

Within a half hour after ceremonies Monday the four federal leaders took up politics again and blamed each other. The Prime Minister:

“Unfortunately there were political events back home that got in the way,” Martin said.

Stephen Harper:

Harper said there is no reason Martin had to miss the event for fear of a motion of non-confidence.

“Obviously we have a tense situation in the House of Commons but there are no votes on the weekend,” he said.

Gille Duceppe:

Duceppe said the way the PM changed his mind on the VE-Day celebrations shows him to be a weak leader.

“It’s up to the prime minister to make a decision. He’s the prime minister. If he can’t do that, he just has to resign.”

Jack Layton:

However, NDP Leader Jack Layton said all the party leaders are to blame for not negotiating a temporary truce in the Commons.

“You just didn’t have the political will emerging from the political leadership and I’ll take some responsibility myself for this.”

Layton said, this is not the’ year of the politican’ it is the year of the Veteran.
A gift of a million tulips easily seen from the parliament buildings should be a stark reminder.