Imagine walking down a street being cheered on by thousands of people. That's what Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff experienced in The Netherlands as the country celebrated the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi occupation.
It was on May 5, 1945, that German forces surrendered to Major-General Charles Foulkes of the Canadian Corps. Over 7,600 hundred Canadians died during the eight months of fighting it took to liberate The Netherlands.
In the years since, the Dutch recognize all those who passed away fighting for their freedom on May 5 with parades and festivities. It was at one of these parades in the village of Markelo that Canniff got to see firsthand the respect that the Dutch have for Canadians.
"It's something I've never experienced in my life and it brought tears into my eyes when we went into Markelo and saw how energized [the people] were," said Canniff.
He and his wife were given the honour of leading the Ontario Massed Pipes and Drums band through the parade.
Among the performers was the Chatham Legion's Pipes and Drums band, a group of six bagpipers, three snare drummers, and two tenor drummers. The group invited Canniff back in 2020 to travel with them to The Netherlands, however, they had to cancel the trip due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained the wait to take part was totally worth it.
"Just think about it... 300,000 people and they all have Canadian flags and are clapping. It was overwhelming," added Canniff.
This parade wasn't the only event Canniff and the band took part in. A ceremony was held later in the day on a mountain outside of the village to honour five soldiers who were killed in battle.
"The large monument to the soldiers looks down over the town in a lovely wooded area," explained Erin June, a snare drummer with the Chatham Legion's Pipes and Drums band.
A separate ceremony was also held at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery, just outside Markelo, where over 1,300 Canadian soldiers are buried.
For Canniff, these moments are something he'll remember for the rest of his life. He also couldn't stop mentioning just how welcoming and appreciative the Dutch are for Canadians.
"I had one young boy come up and says, 'I love Canadians, I love Canadians,'" Canniff said.
He explained many locals also provided free housing and food to him, his wife, and every member of the band.
-With files from Tamara Thornton