My mom was born in Holland in 1947. She was born to my grandparents late in life. They already had 2 boys who were 15 & 17 years older than her. My mom’s brothers were the perfect age for the upcoming war & her parents didn’t want them to go through what her father had gone through. My grandpa fought in both world wars & tried to keep those thoughts from his mind. My grandparents found a sponsor here in Canada & found a family to have them come work on their farm. They boarded a boat & set sail for Canada. They arrived & docked in eastern Canada in the early 50’s. My mom was only 6 years old when she arrived in her new & free country. Like most immigrates back then will tell you, they only had a few dollars to their name & didn’t speak a word of English.
It was a scary adventure but over time made Canada their home. Without that life changing journey & sacrifices my grandparents had made, I would not have the life I have now. I would not be free to choose my religion, free to make my own decisions, free to vote & safe from war. I have the best health care for my own family & feel safe when I walk out my door.
Besides being the true North Strong & Free, Canada is a beautiful country from East to West & everything in between. I love the variety of culture & foods too. The people are warm & friendly, ‘eh’, lol! I have peace living here & could not imagine calling anywhere else home. It’s an honour & privilege to call myself Canadian & sometimes take it for granted. When you already have the best home in the world, you can sometimes forget how truly lucky we are. Happy 150 Canada!!!
Let’s celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday by sharing our stories about this great nation. Canada means so many different things to each of us and we want to highlight the cultural diversity and uniqueness that make Canada great. We invite you to take a few moments and share your story with us; it can be about making this nation your home or being grateful for something that many others would take for granted.