Liberation And Friendship

In mid-October, I paid a visit to the Canadian War Museum, which tells the story of Canadian military history, both in North America and on the world stage. With Covid being at large, I thought that it might be best to get in a visit before Remembrance Day, and present my visit now.

The Museum moved its collection to its current location in the Lebreton Flats area, west of the downtown core, in 2005. The architecture suits its subject, looking like a massive bunker or plane. Its entire structure has two focal points. Regeneration Hall, which is the large spiked structure at right, points directly at Parliament Hill. Memorial Hall, which was closed during my visit because of Covid restrictions, is the other focal point; the Museum was laid out so that on November 11th each year, at 11 in the morning, sunshine illuminates the only exhibit inside: the tombstone of the Unknown Soldier. 

Inside, a series of panels was set up for the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian troops during the Second World War. My parents were children in the Netherlands during the War, old enough to have had clear memories of it. And had things gone on for a few months, one or both of them might well have died of starvation. So I've always felt that I literally owe my life to young Canadian men who answered the call and freed my ancestral homeland. As you can imagine, things like this hit quite close to home for me, and it's emotional to see.