Join the Official 65th Anniversary Celebrations in Europe
About Victory in Europe Day
By May 1945, with most of western Germany under Allied control and Berlin besieged by shellfire, the days of the Nazi regime were clearly numbered.
The war had been long and hard on Canadians and the rest of the Allies. But, finally, tragedy and loss began giving way to victory after victory – many of which Canada had helped win.
Major successes in Italy and during D-Day – which saw Canadians fight their way deeper into France than even the British and Americans – helped solidify Canada’s status as a force to be reckoned with. But Canada’s most notable role in bringing about the end of the Second World War was the liberation of the Netherlands on May 5, 1945. To this day, the Dutch Royal Family sends 10,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa each year as a show of thanks.
Finally, after 1.1 million Canadians had served in the army, navy and air force – and after more than 42,000 of those had given their lives – the violence came to a standstill. In the early hours of May 7th, just two days after Canada’s victory in the Netherlands, Germany’s High Command of Armed Forces signed an unconditional surrender at a schoolhouse in Rheims, France. The following night, a second and final surrender was signed at a villa just outside Berlin.
World War II had ended in Europe.
With victory in the Pacific just over the horizon, celebrations broke out all over the world. Declared “Victory in Europe Day”, May 8th remains a time when people across the globe pay tribute to those who courageously fought for the freedom we share today.
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An Invitation to Join Us
In May 2010, thousands of Canadian students and teachers will come together in the Netherlands to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Canada’s liberation of the Netherlands.
The VE tours will include visits to Arnhem, Normandy, Passchendaele, and Vimy as well as several war cemeteries where Canadian soldiers were laid to rest.
In a gesture of remembrance and celebration, our goal is to have 7,600 Canadian students symbolically represent each Canadian soldier that died fighting in the Netherlands for our freedom.
We are also working closely with government officials to pair each of Canada's participating schools with a school in the Netherlands as a sign of enduring unity between our countries.
As we begin organizing, our immediate challenge is to reach students, parents and teachers across Canada and inform them of these remarkable celebrations. It is our sincere hope that you’ll help spread the word and join us along with thousands more for the educational opportunity of a lifetime.
EF Educational Tours is the official travel supplier of the Victory in Europe celebrations, which includes participation in the official Liberation Day festivities in the Netherlands. All the information you need to know about this life-changing travel experience can be found on this site.
Best wishes,
Dave Robinson
National Student Tour Coordinator
Email me at dave.ve65@gmail.com
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Suggested Reading
Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands, May 1945
by Lance Goddard
Nazi Germany's invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940 marked the beginning of five years of terror for the Dutch people. They faced oppression and death with remarkable stoicism, but nothing could save them from the Hunger Winter of 1944-5, when more than 30,000 people died of starvation.
In this time of unimaginable despair, Canada came to the rescue, playing the largest role in liberating the Netherlands and ending the Nazi reign of terror. The Canadians gave the Dutch freedom - and food - and out of such dark times an eternal friendship was forged.
Told through interviews with Dutch survivors and Canadian veterans, Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands, May 1945 delves into this little known chapter of history.
Battle Diary - From D-Day and Normandy to the Zuider Zee and Ve
by Charles Cromwell Martin and Roy Whitsed
A fast-paced account by a soldier who was twice decorated. Charlie Martin, company sergeant-major in the Queen's Own, was with his beloved A Company in all of the significant Normandy actions.
A Liberation album: Canadians in the Netherlands, 1944-45
by David Kaufman and Michiel Horn
Numerous black and white illustrations: reproductions of archival photographs of the liberation; cartoons; campaign maps. The accompanying text provides history of the period together with personal accounts from both the liberators and the liberated. "The momentous events of 1944-45 established a solid bond of affection between the two countries, strengthened after the war by thousands of war brides and emigrants who headed for Canada. This album of words and pictures is published in a spirit of remembrance and celebration."
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