KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
The third annual Dutch King’s Day was celebrated at the Lochiel Centre in North Glengarry. “Koningsdag,” as it is called in the Netherlands, celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander with specialty Dutch foods, music and games.
The centre was festooned with orange flags, and many attendees and volunteers wore the national colour. The Dutch royal family’s history is intwined with the House of Orange (Huis van Oranje), where William van Oranje began the foundation to establish Dutch independence in 1568. Organizers, Iris Clark and her mother Corry Olsthoorn, both wore traditional Dutch clothing to greet attendees.
Local vendors were also set up in the Lochiel Centre, offering foods such as Speculaas cookies and mix to make Poffertjes (mini pancakes) at home. Kids could enjoy games of “zak lopen” (sack race), “koek happen” (cake biting) and “schmink” (face painting).
Clark was pleased with the attendance, which grows each year. People started showing up an hour early, just to ensure they would have a place to enjoy the festivities and food. Many volunteers helped set up the centre and prepare the Kroketten (sausage), Erwtensoep (Dutch pea soup), Oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts) and Poffertjes (mini pancakes).
Joannah Gougeon brought her family to celebrate both Dutch King’s Day and her 80th birthday. She met her French-Canadian husband in Holland, and they chose to return to his home farm in L’Orignal. She said having the family together to celebrate her Dutch heritage was very special.
Many Dutch families immigrated to Glengarry to become farmers in Canada. Much farmland in the Netherlands had been flooded during World War II when dykes were burst, and the Canadian government was keen to increase its rural population. Agreements among the two governments were established and between 1947 and 1954, 94,000 Dutch people came to Canada to start a new life, mostly in the agricultural industry, with many settling in Ontario.
Thanks to the initiative of Clark and her mother, along with the many friends and volunteers, Dutch families could feel a little closer to home and attendees were introduced to the food, games and music from The Netherlands.
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