The Dutch Memorial Garden

The Dutch Memorial Garden. . , The Dutch Memorial Garden commemorates Canada's support for Holland during the Second World War., When Holland was occupied by Germany in 1940, the Dutch royal family escaped the occupation and came to Canada, where they lived in Ottawa for several years. When Princess Margriet was born, in 1943, Canada declared the maternity ward in Ottawa Civic Hospital temporarily "extraterritorial" to ensure her status as a Dutch citizen. In celebration of her birth, the Dutch flag was raised over Canada's Peace Tower, the only time a foreign flag has flown over this country's parliament buildings., In military action from September 1944 through April 1945, Canadians played a major role in freeing Holland from German occupation., Dutch Troops in Stratford , During the Second World War, Canada also provided training facilities for Holland's military, and Stratford was a major centre for that training. As many as 2,000 Dutch troops lived and trained here between January 1941 and October 1942. The trainees arrived in Stratford from around the world. Some of the first were Dutch citizens who had been living in Western Canada. Others came from as far away as the Dutch Antilles. Later arrivals were escapees from German-occupied Holland and made their way to Stratford in journeys described as "long and tedious.", When the McLagan furniture factory, at the corner of Douro and Trinity streets, was repurposed to accommodate the Dutch troops, it was renamed Juliana Barracks, after Holland's Princess Juliana, who visited Stratford several times to meet the troops. Soldiers living in Juliana Barracks probably had little time for recreation, but crokinole (a game developed in nearby Tavistock) seems to have been popular., Dutch Troops Training in Stratford , Many areas of Stratford, including Lake Victoria, became training sites for Dutch troops., [reverse side] , Dutch Troops Departing From Stratford , It was not unusual for soldiers to arrive and leave Stratford within a span of four or five weeks, but strong and enduring relationships were often established in that brief time., The soldiers were deeply committed to defending and restoring their homeland, but some must have found it difficult to leave Stratford. After the war, many Dutch soldiers returned to visit and renew friendships. Some married and stayed. Dutch is now said to be the third most frequently used language in Stratford and area. ,

"The City of Stratford was wonderful to the Dutch boys indeed, and from the bottom of my heart I wish it forever godspeed!"

Jac Nijsse, Dutch soldier, The Memorial , The memorial has been called "The statue of the wounded bird." It came to Stratford in 1959 through the efforts of Capt. Sidney J. Van den Bergh, a Dutch officer who was stationed at Juliana Barracks., The base has the inscription, in Dutch and English, "To the people of Stratford in grateful memory of their kindness and hospitality to the soldiers of the oppressed Netherlands.", D. E. D. J. Von Balluseck, The Netherlands' ambassador to Canada, arranged for 1,300 tulips and other spring bulbs to be planted around the monument, a tradition that has continued., Ambassador Von Balluseck's dedication of the memorial concluded: , "May it ever be a lasting reminder that true co-operation and mutual help and understanding between nations is the only way to a durable peace.", Princess Margriet visited Stratford on May 14, 2017, to rededicate the memorial., The rededication plaque says of the Wounded Bird Statue: , "It represents The Netherlands when it was occupied from 1940-1945, with the two strong hands representing Canada, who supported The Netherlands during its difficult period. It is an important reminder of the shared history between Canada and The Netherlands."