Sask. woman makes trip to the Netherlands for 80th anniversary of liberation

Monday is the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day in the Netherlands.

The anniversary marks the date in 1945 when German forces were forced to surrender, officially liberating the country. Two days later, on May 7, 1945, the rest of the German army surrendered and the following day was declared Victory in Europe Day, also known as VE Day.

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Pam Scott, who is from Saskatchewan, flew to the Netherlands for the anniversary to reflect on everything that happened in that country 80 years ago. She has a close connection to the Netherlands as her grandmother, Rena Wilke, grew up in the country and married a Canadian soldier.

Speaking on the Evan Bray Show on Monday, Scott said it was surreal to see how much of an impact Canada had on the liberation of the country.

Listen to Scott and Wike on the Evan Bray Show:

“I walked into both of those cemeteries and it’s just a surreal feeling. It’s overwhelming; it’s sadness, it’s happiness to be able to be here, because you don’t actually understand it at home,” Scott said.

“I’ve been wanting to make this trip for years. My parents and I came in 2014, so we were able to come over and meet some family then,” Scott added. “I was supposed to come with my kids in 2020 for Liberation Day, and that didn’t happen so I decided that I was going to come for the 80th.”

Wilke ended up in Saskatchewan after meeting her future husband David Robertson, a Canadian soldier who was lost not far from her home in the Netherlands.

“Him and another soul were lost. Their truck was parked somewhere and they couldn’t find it. We asked them if they knew the name of the street or wherever it was sitting, and they told us. My girlfriend and I took him back to their truck. From there on, I invited him to come to my home and I would introduce him to my mother and dad,” Wilke explained.

“My dad wasn’t very pleased during the beginning… but when the two got together they were the best of friends. They were talking back and forth, even if my dad couldn’t speak much English.”

During her time in the Netherlands, Scott said she saw firsthand just how well respected and beloved Canadians are in the European nation.

“I’ve always known how appreciated they are over here. Grandma has always talked about that, and you feel it,” Scott said. “You just feel it when you walk into the cemeteries and you see how well they’re kept. It’s unbelievable.”

More than 7,600 Canadians died during the effort to free the Netherlands, and every May 5 both Canadians and Dutch citizens pay homage to those who fought to liberate the country.

–with files from 980 CJME’s Roman Hayter