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| AI-generated image by ChatGPT, 2025. |
On 10 May 1940, the German invasion of the Netherlands started until the surrender of the main Dutch forces on 14 May. It was not until 5 May 1945 that the Dutch people were fully liberated from Nazi occupation when Canadian forces accepted the German surrender in the Netherlands, ending five years of hardship, including the "Hunger Winter", for the Dutch people.
More than 7,600 Canadians gave their lives during the campaign. From the fierce battles in the Scheldt estuary to the final push into the northern provinces, Canadian soldiers, airmen, and medical personnel played a significant role in restoring freedom and dignity in the Netherlands.
The friendship between our two countries has remained strong ever since. In 1945, the Dutch royal family, grateful for Canada sheltering the future Queen Juliana and her family during the war, sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa. Every spring, the Canadian Tulp Festival celebrates the cultural and historical legacy of the Canadian-Netherlands relationship.
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Sources:
Canadian War Museum, “Liberation! Canada and the Netherlands 1944-1945, (https://www.warmuseum.ca/liberation/).
Government of Canada, “Liberation of the Netherlands,” Veterans Affairs Canada(https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/wars-and-conflicts/second-world-war/liberation-of-netherlands).
Canadian Tulip Festival (https://tulipfestival.ca)
