HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-05-07, Page 47Page 12
"There's only .one old country"
While Herman Van Baaren
and his wife Anne are well-
established Canadians, there
will always be a part of them
which will belong to their
native Holland.
"Holland is still my home,"
declares Ann Van Baaren.
"There's only one old country."
On April 29, 1949, with four
small children, two suitcases
and the clothes on their backs,
they boarded a crowded army
boat bound for Quebec. Prior
to immigrating, they had ab-
solutely no knowledge of
Canada - only that it was a
country with opportunity - and
an attractive escape from the
grinding poverty of post-war
Holland.
Thirty-seven years later, the
Clinton area couple has retired
frotn farming, leaving the
operation to their son John.
Return to Holland
reveals
phenomenal change
They've also raised a family of
eight in Canada.
To satisfy their yearning for
the old country, the couple have
travelled back to their native
Giessendam, a southern
Holland town comparable in
size to Goderich, on six occa-
sions to visit relatives. In fact,
Mrs. Van Baaren was the win-
ner of the Klompen Feest KLM
draw for a trip to Holland in
1983.
Phenomenal Change
They've found the change in
the small European country
has been phenomenal since
their departure on April 29,
1949. They find the country is
not as nice as it once was. The
slow, farming based society
has given way to the hustle and
bustle of urban life.
"When we left in 1949
everyone only had bicycles,
now everyone has cars.
Everything is so expensive
there now. It would be so hard
to buy a house there," said Mrs.
Van Baaren.
"Homesick"
But, the past is still alive in
their memory - especially the
hardships and uncertainty of
coming to Canada. What they
recall most aboQit the upheaval
in their lives after the immigra-
tion to Canada was the all per-
vasive feeling of homesickness,
loneliness and isolation they en-
dured at the time.
"We came here with four kids
'Bern to page 13 •
SNELL ENTERPRISES SINCE 1834
1
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, ;
TANHtnn:
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