Old but New Here.....

A long time ago, on a planet far away....but never far from my minds eye !!

 

Hi Toomany! Love your personality!!

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Hi toomany, welcome to the forum, I see you already fit right in.
Talking about remote, most of you are pretty remote to me, or is it me that's remote? Being Dutch, I am required by law to think we're the centre of the universe. Don't worry, some laws are meant to be broken.

 

I'm also from Toronto, and moved after retirement. North Pole compared to balmy Lake Ontario area. Huntsville is about halfway travel wise from me, going North West. It's another world out here.

 

Like that, we all think our country is special. Canadians and Dutch people have a special bond, my father was there for the WWII end of German occupation. NIce to meet you.

 

What a nice thing to say! Some people think I am a pain...but you can't please everyone.

 

After I thought about it, Toronto seemed a world away from where I am these days, in many ways, you don't want to know.

 

My parents and grandparents were liberated by the Canadian Cape Breton Highlanders. At the time they lived in the town of Groningen, in the north of the country. We will always be grateful to people like your father, Canadians, and others of course, but in my family Canadians were always favourite.
Nice to meet you too.

 

WOW!!!!!

 

& that's why Ottawa has a tulip festival every year !!
Our festival.......your tulips !!
Thank you !

 

We have a big tulip festival here in Mount Vernon, WA. Lots of Dutch there.
I don't think WWII is the connection though.

 

Pleasure! I saw Dutch tulips in Vancouver as well.
Some more:

If they are an official thank you present from the Dutch, there will be a sign, maybe somewhere in a planter.

 

Here they're grown for sale though at the biggest farm there is an area dedicated to veterans. I fail to recall if those other than US are honored.

 

History
In 1945, the Dutch royal family sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in gratitude for Canadians having sheltered Princess Juliana and her daughters for the preceding three years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, in the Second World War.

The most noteworthy event during their time in Canada was the birth in 1943 of Princess Margriet to Princess Juliana at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. The maternity ward was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government, thereby allowing Princess Margriet's citizenship to be solely influenced by her mother's Dutch citizenship.[5][6] In 1946, Juliana sent another 20,500 bulbs requesting that a display be created for the hospital, and promised to send 10,000 more bulbs each year.

 

Quite interesting.

 

A photo of Juliana with Margriet on her lap.
Father and grandmother (queen Wilhelmina) had just come over from the UK where they were staying to help coordinate the war effort.
Juliana lobbied for worldwide help while also looking after her daughters in Canada.

 

Some how I missed this thread..............and THAT will never do! As most know, I am one of those obnoxious persons who HAS to be a part of EVERYTHING that happens, or I feel my purpose in life has been negated.................

So, in the interest of correcting that woeful situation, WELCOME!

I have the distinct impression that you will shortly be part and parcel of this community!

 

You know....I recall now that I have a old booklet that has something to do with queen Wilhelmina. Maybe her coronation?

 

Welcome! Delighted to "meet" another "old good times" lover