The 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and V-E Day
Important Notice:
The well-being of Veterans and staff is of utmost importance. In line with advice about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from various health and safety authorities, the Government of Canada will not be sending a delegation overseas and will not be hosting commemorative ceremonies in the Netherlands as planned. When the situation with COVID-19 is resolved and the associated risks are greatly diminished, Veterans Affairs Canada will work with partners in the Netherlands and in Canada to organize commemorative activities, including a delegation with Second World War Veterans to the Netherlands.
Learn more about Canada’s involvement in the Liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War and our plans to commemorate this military milestone.
History
Beginning in the fall of 1944 through the spring of 1945, close to 175,000 Canadians took part in the campaign to liberate the Netherlands. More than 7,600 made the ultimate sacrifice.
Learn more about Canada’s involvement in the Liberation of the Netherlands.
How can you remember?
We have created a variety of digital commemorative initiatives and activities so that Canadians can remember the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and V-E Day. Here’s how you can participate from the safety of your own home.
Faces of Freedom Podcast
Explore stories of those who served and sacrificed for our country—the Faces of Freedom. Their faces tell the story and their legacy will live on. Did you know that their voices also tell the story? We have created a series of podcasts so you can listen to these heroes firsthand.
Tulip Takeover
Let’s flood social media with tulips! This flower represents the friendship between Canada and the Netherlands. This spring, to virtually commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and V-E Day, share photos of tulips using #Netherlands75 and #TulipsAtHome.
Home Learning Corner
Check out our new Home Learning Corner that supports parents and students with engaging, home-based educational activities for a variety of ages. This educational material is focused on how our soldiers helped liberate the Dutch people during the Second World War.
Virtual Postcards
Send a message of gratitude to those who served our country with a virtual postcard!
We will be sharing and re-posting your postcards, but most importantly, we will be forwarding them to Veterans who helped liberate the Netherlands.
#SilentToRemember
Join us in taking part in a long lasting Dutch tradition to honor those who served and sacrificed. The National Day of Remembrance in the Netherlands takes place annually on May 4 and includes two minutes of silence. In these unprecedented times, let’s be #SilentToRemember and show our Veterans that we will recognize them from our homes – in Canada and in The Netherlands.
Join the conversation
As always, we encourage you to join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #CanadaRemembers, #Netherlands75 and #VEDay75.
Heroes Remember Interviews
Our military history is best understood through the stories of the brave Canadians who lived it – our Veterans. Explore our collection of video interviews to hear some of their personal stories.
Our partners
Many of our partners are also commemorating this milestone with interactive and digital initiatives. Visit their websites to learn more:
- Canadian Embassy of the Netherlands
- Canadian Tulip Festival
- Canada Post
- Canadian War Museum
- Defining Moments Canada
- Department of Canadian Heritage
- Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Ingenium
- In our Fathers’ Foot Steps
- Juno Beach Centre
- Parks Canada Agency
- Project 44
- Royal Canadian Legion
- Royal Canadian Mint
Media information
Interview requests
Media members interested in speaking with a Veteran from the Liberation of the Netherlands or the Victory in Europe should contact Media Relations.
Related
Faces of Freedom - Explore the stories of Canadians who have served, and those inspired to remember them.
Official commemorative poster
On 5 March 2020, we unveiled the official poster commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and V-E Day.
This special commemorative poster features Sergeant (Retd) Norman Kirby, a Veteran of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. He and his platoon helped liberate many towns in the Netherlands in the closing weeks of the fighting in Northwest Europe before V-E Day was declared on 8 May 1945. In the background of the poster is an historical photo showing happy citizens of the Dutch town of Zwolle welcoming Canadian soldiers after being freed in April 1945.
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