80th Anniversary

80th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands by the Canadian Army- Celebration.

May 4, 2025
10:30am – Holy Trinity Anglican Church (101 St & 84 Ave)
11:40am – March to Light Horse Park
12pm – Commemoration in Light Horse Park (reception to follow)

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of this historical event that forever created a bond between Canada and the Netherlands. This will likely be the last time that living Canadian soldiers who are now 99 years of age, or older, and liberated Dutch-Canadians will stand on the same ground
The event is organized by Dutch-Canadian Club Edmonton, the Netherlands Consulate Edmonton, and the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment, who were instrumental in the liberation, both in the fall of 1944 and the spring of 1945.

The event will feature both the Liberators and the Liberated. 
The Liberators are represented by Able Seaman Marty Jones, from Edmonton and a gunner on a landing ship, part of the D-Day Invasion that made the liberation of the Netherlands possible. Marty will turn 100 years of age on May 31. Marty lost his cousin in the Battle of Arnhem, who lies in Groesbeek Cemetery with thousands of other Canadians soldiers nearby. A total of 7,600 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in this act of liberation.
The Liberated are represented by Sid Van Der Meulen, an eight-year-old boy in 1945, living in the north of the Netherlands. He vividly remembers the jubilation expressed by his family and neighbours and then meeting his first Canadian soldier like it was yesterday: “He gave me the first stick of gum that I ever saw. Boy! Did that taste good!!”

The event will feature a church service at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10:30 AM), joint belling ringing with the Welberg Bell in the Netherlands (11:00AM), a march from the church to Light Horse Park. At the park there will be speeches from dignitaries including the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Alberta, representatives of the Canadian Army, the Edmonton Dutch community, Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, as well as marching bands and the Edmonton Police Service Chorus.

For more information: John Stobbe, May 4th Organizing Committee 780-716-3053 (Mobile) stobbeco@gmail.com