Liberation of the Netherlands (1944–1945)

Canada’s role in liberation and the friendship that followed.

About the
Netherlands
1944–1945

The Netherlands is located in Western Europe, bordered by Germany, Belgium and the North Sea. Much of the country lies below sea level and is protected by a sophisticated system of dikes and canals. The capital is Amsterdam, while The Hague is the seat of government. The population in 1945 was around 9.2 million.

Population

9.2 million

Capital

Amsterdam

Official
Language

Dutch

The Netherlands — map and country facts (1944–1945)

History of the
Netherlands

The Netherlands has a rich history as a maritime and trading nation. In the 17th century, known as the Dutch Golden Age, it became one of the most powerful and wealthy countries in the world. It was also a leader in the arts, sciences and exploration. The country gained full independence from Spain in the 1600s.

Hunger Winter

Winter of Despair: 1944–1945

In late 1944, as Allied forces liberated southern Netherlands, German authorities blocked food shipments to punish Dutch resistance, plunging western provinces into famine during the coldest winter in decades. Daily rations fell below 500 calories, forcing desperate measures for survival.

Hunger Winter 1944–1945 — Dutch children receiving soup during famine

Audrey Hepburn’s Story

A Future Star Endures

Fifteen-year-old Audrey Hepburn endured the Hunger Winter in Arnhem, suffering malnutrition that affected her health throughout life. “We had no heat, no light, no food,” she later recalled.

This experience shaped her compassion and eventual humanitarian work with UNICEF.

Audrey Hepburn in Arnhem — teenager during the Hunger Winter of 1944–1945

Tulips for
Survival

When Flowers Became Food

Dutch ingenuity turned tulip bulbs—normally grown for flowers—into survival food.

Bulbs were ground into flour for bread, roasted for coffee substitute, and boiled for soup.

Though bitter and barely palatable, these emergency foods saved countless lives during the famine.

Tulip bulbs used as emergency food during the Dutch Hunger Winter

The Canadian
Liberators

The Maple Leaf Brings Freedom

The First Canadian Army fought valiantly to liberate the Netherlands, pushing through flooded terrain against fierce resistance.

As they advanced, soldiers shared rations with starving civilians.

The German surrender on May 5, 1945 ended the occupation and began the Dutch road to recovery.

Canadian troops in action at Groningen, 1945

VE Day
Celebrations

When Victory in Europe was declared on May 8, 1945, jubilant celebrations erupted across the Netherlands.

For the Dutch, VE Day represented not just war’s end but survival against impossible odds.

The celebrations honored those lost and the Allied
forces who brought freedom.

VE Day celebrations in the Netherlands, May 1945

Royal Refuge

In 1940, as Nazi forces occupied the Netherlands, the Dutch royal family fled to safety. To ensure the baby would have full Dutch citizenship, the Canadian government declared her Ottawa hospital room to be "extraterritorial" or temporarily Dutch soil.

On January 19, 1943, Princess Margriet was born as a fully Dutch citizen on this unique island of Dutch territory. After the war, the grateful princess and her mother sent thousands of tulip bulbs to Canada, beginning the tradition that blossomed into Ottawa's famous Tulip
Festival.

Princess Margriet has returned to Canada
many times, maintaining the special
bond between the royal family and their
wartime hosts.

Juliana with her husband
and daughters in Ottawa
in 1943 Public Domain

Princess Juliana and Princess Margriet — Royal Refuge in Canada during WWII

A Lasting
Friendship

Tulips of Gratitude

The Netherlands has sent thousands of tulip bulbs to Canada annually since 1946, creating Ottawa's famous Tulip Festival.

This enduring tradition—alongside the meticulous care of Canadian war graves in Dutch soil—symbolizes a friendship between nations that continues to bloom 80 years after liberation.

The Cost of Freedom

The Human Toll of War and Famine

The Liberators:

7,600 Canadian soldiers died on Dutch soil
175,000+ troops in First Canadian Army participated in liberation
1,400 Canadian soldiers buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery alone
5 weeks of intense fighting (April-May 1945) to liberate western Netherlands

The Hunger Winter:

22,000 Dutch civilians died from starvation
4.5 million affected by severe food shortages
Daily rations fell to 400-800 calories (normal is 2,000+)
Temperature dropped to -20°C during coldest winter in decades
Food prices rose 10x normal rates on black market

The Aftermath:

20,000+ tulip bulbs sent annually to Canada since 1946
1.1 million Canadian visitors to Netherlands Liberation Museum since opening
140,000+ Dutch immigrants moved to Canada after the war
80 years of friendship between nations continues today

Liberation of the Netherlands by the numbers — soldiers, civilians, and losses

NW Alberta KIA's

Anderson, William John

Ashley, Henry

Atkinson, Alexander

Brown, Maurice Raymond

Caron, Gustave Joseph

Chalifaux, Joseph

Charest, Roger Arthur Joseph

Cook, Robert John

Creighton, Ivan Donald

Cuthbert, Armony Egerton

Decoine, John

Gaunt, Jerimia

Halverson, Sigvard Olaf

Hansley, Edward Burrows

Hart, Ronald Joseph

Horton, Glen Tufford

Hotte, Alfred

Johnston, Henry George

Kavanaugh, Gordon Henry

Koll, Merle Raymond

La Foy, Tip Orlando

Lee, Russell Carl

Lessard, Orel Adelore

Lund, Melvin Olaf

MacKinnon, James Donald

McLeod, Edward Gilbert

Newman, Charles Stanley

Otterholm, William George

Senz, Alphonse Joseph

Shaver, Donald George

Tolway, Adam

Vader, James Daniel Edwin

Velve, Lawrence Orvald

Werniuk, Stanley

Westad, John

Young, Reuben Erland

Zeyha, George

Northwest Alberta soldiers killed in action — Roll of Honour

Veterans Memorial Gardens

Location:

10121-93 St.

Grande Prairie, Alberta

(780) 933-0182

Hours of Operation

Open from 11-5 from August 18-25th.

Closed from the 26th - 29th.

Effective Saturday August 30th we are back to

Fall - Spring Hours

Thursday from 10:00 to 1:00 PM

Saturday from 10:00 to 1:00 PM

Sunday from 10:00 to 1:00 PM

“We respectfully acknowledge that we are on the traditional lands of Treaty 8, the traditional territory of the Cree, Dane-zaa (Beaver), Dene (Chipewyan), and Métis peoples. We honor the rich history, languages, ceremonies, and cultures of the Indigenous peoples who have lived on and cared for this land for generations. We are committed to ongoing learning, understanding, and fostering relationships with the diverse Indigenous communities and are deeply grateful for their continued stewardship of the land and contributions to our communities.”