An historic event that happened 60 years ago on the other side of the world is being remembered in Squamish next week.
A Dutch jazz band is traveling across the country playing music and paying tribute to the Canadian soldiers who helped liberate the Netherlands in 1945. Luluk Purwanto and the Helsdingen Trio are traveling across the country in a bus that converts into a stage and making stops at communities and cities from coast to coast. Squamish is the chosen destination for Friday (June 10).
The Netherlands thanked Canada and its soldiers right after World War II by giving our nation 100,000 tulips for helping with the liberation efforts and for providing a safe haven for the Dutch Royal Family in Ottawa. All these years later, the Dutch are still thankful and they are showing their appreciation again by giving the people of Canada more tulips and the gift of entertainment.
Singer and violinist Luluk Purwanto will roll into Squamish with bassist Esseit Oko Essiet, drummer Marcello Pellitteri and pianist Rene van Helsdingen. Their Tulip Bus will pull into the Squamish Adventure Centre parking lot, where they will set up their stage and do their jazz show.
Joanna Schwarz, one of the show coordinators from the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association (HSPAA), has a CD from Luluk Purwanto and the Helsdingen Trio. "It is quite modern, they focus on improvising," she said.
The event will be kicked off with a Legion Colour Parade at 6:30 p.m. from Rose Park.
Former West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA Ted Nebbeling, who was born in the Netherlands shortly before liberation, will open the concert with some introductory remarks.
The HSPAA is getting help from The Royal Embassy of The Netherlands in Ottawa, one of the main sponsors of the friendship tour.
Schwartz said the outdoor concert is open to everyone and the HSPAA is asking for donations of $10 for the performance.
Donors are going to be eligible to receive an entertainment package filled with coupons for local attractions and businesses that is valued at more than $45. The packages will include coupons for the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, the B.C. Museum of Mining, Pepe and Gringos, Eagles' Coffee Grounds, Garibaldi 5 Cinemas and Pause Café.
The concert is of particular interest for 83-year-old local veteran Doug Fenton.
When Fenton learned of the friendship concert he wrote down some of his experiences in Holland during the war with the organizers of the concert. His words were reprinted in the program that is distributed in each of the show locations across Canada.
"I was a private in the Canadian Scottish Regiment based in Victoria, BC," Fenton wrote. "During the war, I spent several memorable weeks in Holland and two even more memorable weeks in Holland after the Armistice was signed."
Fenton's regiment was stationed near Nijmegen and he said the Dutch people welcomed the Canadian soldiers. His regiment went into Germany and when the Armistice was signed the soldiers returned to the Netherlands.
"Once again, when the Hollanders saw us, they were very happy and extremely excited," Fenton wrote. "Families generously took us in (about six soldiers per household) and accommodated our entire battalion this way for about two weeks! I will never forget their generosity. War is like having the devil on your back 24 hours a day. There is no Sunday, but seeing the gratefulness on the Hollanders' faces was one of the few good memories I have of that war."
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