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To the everlasting memory of the members of The Canadian Grenadier Guards, both the living and the dead, who together with other Canadian and Allied servicemen participated in the glorious campaign of 1944-1945 that led to the liberation of The Netherlands.
Presented by Dutch-Canadians of the Province of Quebec on 5 May of 1970.
The Canadian military and The Canadian Grenadier Guards played a major role in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation during World War II, and the two countries have a strong friendship that continues today:
Battle for the Scheldt
In October and November 1944, Canadian and Allied forces defeated the Germans blocking the Scheldt Estuary, which opened the port of Antwerp to Allied supplies.
Liberation of Arnhem
The First Canadian Army played a major role in the liberation of Arnhem.
Liberation of the Randstad
The First Canadian Army moved into the Randstad, a densely populated area, and distributed food supplies to the starving civilian population.
German surrender
On May 5, 1945, the Germans surrendered to Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes and H.R.H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.
Cost of liberation
More than 7,600 Canadians died in the nine-month campaign to liberate the Netherlands.
The liberation of the Netherlands was a key moment in the end of World War II and the beginning of a strong friendship between the two countries. Some examples of the enduring connection include:
The tulips that bloom in Ottawa each spring, a gift from the Dutch people
The care and attention Dutch children give to the burial places of Canadian war deadName/Title
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