A long, long time ago,
My parents said we must go
To a far away land
Where our liberators are at hand.
The winds of war brushed across our favorite land
But Canadian soldiers knew where to stand.
They served by land, sea and air,
Wherever the urgent need they were there.
The very least that is their due
Is to be remembered by me and you.
When I left Holland I just turned fifteen,
I thought where will I be as a teen?
World War Two left our country in a mess
We were told Canada is big and beautiful, no less
Our poor farm had to be sold
The cost of the trip was high we were told.
We could take our belongings but no money,
Canada is a land of milk and honey.
On the ship there were many Dutch people our age
And soon we were on the same page.
With some of them we are still in touch
Now the next generations are farming very much.
After nine days on the ship we arrived in the U.S.A.
Our first sight of land was New York still far away
It was springtime, 1951 and we saw a little green
I hurried to the edge of the ship what else there was to be seen.
Once docked came the long walk to the train
A long line of people singing in refrain
The long ride took us to Oakville
Where our sponsor waited at his own will.
For us young ones it was all so exciting
But wondered what our parents were enticing
Were they thinking of all that they left behind?
No, they learned English, read all papers they could find.
Never to hear the sounds of war that made us freeze
We are now in the land of future and birds sing in the breeze.
I too thought I will never see Holland again
But couldn’t wait to become Canadian.
Dad wanted to farm again so off to work we went
We had to give him every earned cent.
We now thank our parents for taking the big step
We are the benefactors without any fret
We followed their example to be strong
And became farmers, it didn’t take long.
Happy with the new life we have gained
Over the years things have surely changed
Many families and friends have visited us here
And I go visit them almost every year.
In my home village I went to my old school on a high note
There I told about Canada and this is what kids wrote:
After World War Two most people did not know what to do
For some of them there was no place
That’s the reason they took their suitcase
They drove to the sea, went to Canada by boat
For some that is now more than sixty years ago.
In Canada it’s hot in summer, in winter there is snow
And there are big mountains and lakes
Most everyone likes to eat juicy steaks.
The Dutch children know about World Wars’ history
And the special bond between their and our country.
To this day they care for the Canadian graves
Remember their courage and what they gave
So now I can proudly say, Oh Canada, our Canada
You are my nation strong and free,
And am honored to stand on guard for thee!
Happy Birthday Canada!
