Toronto
February 10, 2010

Heartfelt war stories, Dutch Canadian World War II
survivors release memoirs (2nd edition)

65th Anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian soldiers

Dr. Jet Bussemaker, the Netherlands State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport, will pay an official visit to Toronto on Friday February, 19th, 2010. This visit marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands in which Canadian soldiers played such a pivotal role.  This remembrance event will be attended by dignitaries and war veterans of both countries. During her visit the book “Personal Histories; Honour our Past, Celebrate the Future, War memories of a Dutch Canadian generation” will be re-launched with an official ceremony and press conference.  Many of the authors of the book will also be present at the ceremony.

The publication of the second edition of the book was made possible with the generous support of the Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.  The success of the first edition shows the general public interest in our common past in a globalised world and proves that the book is a worthy and respectful dedication to family members and later generations of Dutch and Indonesian people who came to Canada to finally live their liberation.

In 2009 the first edition of the book “Personal Histories; Honour our Past, Celebrate the Future, War memories of a Dutch Canadian generation” was launched.  Dutch Canadians write about their personal experiences, before, during and after the Second World War in Europe and Asia.

The event will take place on Friday February, 19th, 2010, from 9:30 am – 14:00 pm, at 89 Chestnut Residence & Conference Centre, 89 Chestnut Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1R3. The press conference starts at 10:00 am in the Armoury Suite at 89 Chestnut Street, and will be hosted by Johan Kramer, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and editor Titia Kramer.  Copies of the book will be available.

The book opens with the memories of young Dutch people seeing their world fall apart with the German invasion in May 1940.  The memoirs received from Dutch Canadians of Jewish background form part of it.

The Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies took place in early 1942.  The greater part of the submissions tell the story of children and young adults growing up in the Dutch East Indies under Japanese occupation.
 
For many young Dutchmen the war did not end May 5th 1945.  Between 1946 and the cease-fire in August 1949 a total of about 25,000 volunteers and 95,000 conscripts have fought in Indonesia.  The “veteran stories” in this book reflect the memories of these soldiers, many of whom were resistance fighters during German occupation.

The book is the result of a conference of the same name: ‘Honour our Past, Celebrate the Future,’ which took place in Richmond Hill, Ontario, on May 17th 2008.  The conference brought together more than 600 people.  Different groups of war survivors attended: camp survivors, resistance fighters, veterans, and other war victims, each with their own and sometimes shared experiences.  This allowed a plethora of stories to be told.  Personal stories about coping with those years of war, stories that should be heard by others not present, stories worth writing down.
 
The book reads as a novel and is richly illustrated with many personal photos and other illustrations.  It is a book for family and friends but also for other interested readers, schools and institutions in Canada and the Netherlands.

For additional information and to RSVP for the press conference and/or the launch of the book “Personal Histories; Honour our Past, Celebrate the Future, War memories of a Dutch Canadian generation,” please send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone Karen Empson: 416-598-2534 ext. 224.