This is in reply to Jerry Wessel's letter to the editor from June 4/11. In 1994 Jerry Dewit, together with a small group of people from Dutch background, asked for and received permission from City Hall to plant tulips near the Cenotaph in front of City Hall, in commemoration of the liberation of Holland by Canadian soldiers. The tulips are a recognizable symbol of Holland and they bloom in May, close to the official liberation date of May 5th. With the changes introduced by the construction of the Veteran's Square, there was a need to renew our efforts and keep this tradition going. Last October 3000 tulips were planted, with a lot of help from the City's Parks Department, in various locations throughout the City. And on Friday, May 27th a small ceremony was held honouring the soldiers who made it possible for us to be here. This date was chosen as the tulips were in full blossom and so that Jerry Dewit, who has since moved to Vancouver, could be here as well. Jerry Wessel has a good point and next year we will aim to have the commemoration on a Saturday or Sunday, in May. Currently we have a small group(24) of people interested to keep this going and perhaps this is an opportunity to invite others with similar interests and a Dutch connection to join us. Please contact: Dick Voneugen,250-962-7672 or dvoneugen@telus.net
Dick Voneugen,
Prince George
