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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-18, Page 17Dec. 18, 1985 leis re, features and entert inment Serving over 20,000 homes in Ontario's heartland WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 countries . are the beneficiaries, even schools the USSR. Butter is sold to the latter- THURSDAY tter THURitDAY, MAY 9 country for a few cents a pound. Sneek is a city with many Holland itself the product is lavishly and institutions of learning. Public s one counts half a used in the homes and restaurants, al - hundred included, intownthem tech- most as if it was going out of style. hundred in town, among During a boat trip on an otherwise tical and trade schools. On the morn- not overly-luxuro�Gs s�eainer, enough ing of er" for some veterans turned butter was served at lunchtime tobext "teacher" for an hour or so. At four the two of us a week. As might high schools as the program mention (ted, the great variety of seafood ed, they were to inf ortnally meet the created moments of extreme tension tudents and tell something about of one's willpower their and severe testing Caro few their adventures experiences the years battlefieldseo on not to overindulge at the s surrounding the site Europe. The students rethusl weak moments were apt to cause an woods was spring and its arrival calls for leave, is to die a tittle? when andquestion were nd theitknow enough tor Again the truth of this saying was Europe.upset stomach ngd for those unaware music. But don't they to address question first hand Pquiet at this hallowed spot? Or are brought home the next 8:15 a.m. the of the surprising effect of k el over- be the refrain the n hoay, former soldiers, the men from Cana-of bakedbedance of smoked mackerel ore they still reflecting da, who battled till the victory herring on the human digestive songs bf thanksgiving that welled up veterans and their awives yk boardedn the Nazi eGd to repeat was e well-worn We doe canalct on people of Holland buses for the city not need c most people undeor0 exWcouldnotfood help pricesbut in Holland. inthe springs of the , when 1945, the Nazis prbuses of Gelderland. The visit to r that students. do not know the inexpensive were on the run before the men from Sneek had comeowereegatherng once " of war. Actually, wasmeant to and xpen and oil are both at t e pump goodbye have little or no recollection of WW 1I • expensive. Gasoline at the pump overseas, who wore badges on their towns =Pepe oin many an now the and egad price. uniform sleeves with the word Cana- and a tear as blinking say The veterans' visit was is nearly twice the Canadian da , their a e. Asking a veteran whether ne had active m the Both feed grain and energy are im s the songbirds singing yny an give the students a i en op Perhap ecl his atve in he r great conflict and for a few moments grant components of the cost of pro- perennial chorus are assuring us that enjoyed ed duction in agricultural operations. It hey will always sing over the last enj writerdaround Sneektrong she gra him d slaveto rivetfree their attention the the fairlynand re produc- past when evil forces tried to en- remains a mystery that while p resting places of the soldiers lying at pff his feet (how as outof this world". people on one hand tion costs are higher in Holland be- men and women on the con- their feet and not forget. Who shall exclaimed: a note of mutual respect . self-sacrificing cause of the import factor, say? the sumer price is only half, in many The burial grounds are immac sympathy, by the burgemees the other hand withstood these at -h t are paying in e t Hund ds of headstones w uu t and • stillness there is peace and little to dis-' soldier, known unto God." etery, As if to mock reality, the sun over - and daughters, pilgrims from afar, the sons had warms the earth and the grave soldiers, who have friends and pay their markers, but warmth so often fails to soldiers, who have come to reach the human heart. respect and hadbeen m remember. visitors to In the evening a farewell reception There been many "saw an Holten ,these last few weeks but le.ow in mous Hotel numbere of ucigtizens ° e to the enor- theref Siieek were only a handful of Pep good-bYe e foe to the The cemetery leaves an unforget- gather.to bid a fond good -by table impression when one is ap- veterans departing g proaching the grounds. One wonders morning. not why did the ' `Merels" ,the Dutch With without its sadder momentsild It was an emotional 11lsna not songbirds par excellence sing t not such wonderful and beauty in the true what the Frenchman says ? Of course partir,c'est moui•ir un pev.""To andveterans listene ter to a last speechie ss tempts • instances, of w a we re How long ago and how remote must Canada, though Canada grows its own inferulately k p those days of war and tyranny to grain and is well endowed with now inform us about the soldiers' inanny again in therethege. and soon Martim square. seem Most were barely twenty memories remain now off an the younger generation! The veryWhere is the economist who can fell in the last day or two before the Only however, �' historical event which can never be • presence of the veterans, explain this discrepancy? end of hostilities. In the meantime Holland ranks ul- Sadness overwhelms the visitor and• er"asedarderwyk which was liberated fight of their medals, the English p he • only In in 1945, the veterans toes language, all these things must have among the world leaders in gr in mute hricomprehension given food for thought as was evident tural exports. This seems to be truly able to pause, but does not find the an - veterans astonishing since' the country is only uestions risingfromhis during the question pe spent by the square miles, or let us say, swer to the q The afternoon was to 14,000 heart. veterans toas they, saw fit. And thyroe about 12 times the size of Perth English names, French names, was a lot s do! Sneek had so much to County. Jewish names, Dutch names conjure VISIT TO HOLTEN visions of young men and carmarad- riety offer of historic buildings and modern for home, suburbs. Its stores and restaurants • t Early in the afternoon a large group brie but also of a longing• f the presented an unendingructs and characteristic Dutch p hat souvenirs, not to mention the sop istif- cated European cuisine. Prices were reasonable and the Canadian dollilderar. rated high against the Dutch gu' ABUNDANCE OF FOOD It was a revelation to find half hat food prices were in general only ur Canadian domestic prices. Cheese sold for nine guilders per kilo. Yes, nine guilders. Compare that to about $9.00 (that is 2/ tines to milk,igbut home.h) at ' The same app liedes ete. ter, potato It is a well-known fact, t atarg east is gotten Netherlands are wrestling with but here, around I agricultural surpluses of which other cern- of veterans, including the ceremonia , band, visited . Holten military cern- for the familiar surroundings home town, the prairie vistas, the etery in the.province of Overysel, where most Canadian soldiers who mountains. nd there a veteran bends over fell in the battles in the north and east to better read a name. Fragments of the the trip lasted twonds ares. It was ay bus "He should have lasted two. hours. It was a per- hushed conversation are heard: "He fact day, even hot, and soon the was a great guy." e gone up in the world.""He was a gal - Holten jatarne itaoff. cemetery is set lant medical man." military A headstone reflects the age-old la- . among some of the most beautiful ment of those who saw their beloved ,scenery ih the whole of the � Nether- for far -away wars. in lands. Peaceful forests cover undulat- ones departe lived i f hope, we prayed ing hilts and here one finds an oasis of vain, "W that we would see him home miles to thesin." tranquility. Not many the industrial region known as again." one reads: "Unknown by the Peru► again went through the now -familiar b ta ritual of an official reception sumptuous town fathers, followed byjust must lunch. The Dutch people give vent to their feelings wherever Canadian ex -servicemen appear. It will suffice to refer on im- pression m ac- companying pictures to get pression of their reception in an Harder- wyk. Laterin the day the Perths departed . for Amsterdam, Utrecht, to do some sightseeing. their The following days they wentre their own way, some immediately ing to Canada, others embarking ardy, extended tours of Europe• strong breed, those ex -soldiers! But then, the people of Holland have al- ways known that!