HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-05-07, Page 94Journey to new land
ment offered attractive sub-
sidies for families to get out of
the farming business and im-
migrate to Canada. Mr.
Reinink said the family had
rented a dairy in Holland. The
owner later sold the Mand and,
since they couldn't 'purchase
the farm, he was forced out of
farming. After a brief stint on a
highway crew, he decided to try
farming elsewhere - in Canada.
"It was over -full. There were
too many farmers. That's the
reason we came to Canada.
Eight of us went on the plane
trip and we landed in Montreal.
The first immigrants had to
pay for the trip themselves, but
when we landed in Montreal we
were given $200 to live on for
the first month, said Mr.
Reinink.
After immigrating in 1967,
they farmed for a short while
Y
.enJ o ab
old when we immigra ed to
Canada. We weren't able to
pick up the language that easi-
ly. In the house still we always
speak dutch. Many times when
the kids went to school, we
didn't go out because we
couldn't speak English. The
first couple of years weren't
easy," said Mrs. Reinink.
The couple learned English
through listening to their six
children and through radio and
television. They're also
thankful for the dutch
neighbors who they were able
to converse with during their
first years in the country which
lessened the feeling of isolation.
Although Mr. Reinink goes
back every two years to visit
friends and relatives, in
(Holland, he has no thought of
moving the family back.
Tarn to page 61
Page 59
near Guelph where Mrs.
Reinink's father and brother
owned a dairy operation. Dur-
ing this time they began farm
hunting and eventually pur-
chased a dairy farm near
Bayfield, said Mr. Reinink. •
For the past 10 years, the
family has been involved in
their poultry operation near
Londesboro. Although he would
still like to be involved in the
dairy business, he's found
poultry raising to be less of a
workload. "But I still like cows
better," he said.
However, the move to
Canada was not without its
frustrations, especially where
learning the language was con-
cerned. Mrs. Reinink recalls
the first two years of living in
Canada were hard because of
the language.
"We' were both over 40 -years -
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