HQ DISPATCH #6 - JANUARY 2020 |
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Hello! With less than a hundred days to go, our pilgrimage is feeling … well, real! In Our Fathers’ Footsteps received a huge media boost this month!
Elizabeth Wensley had an article in the Hamilton Spectator and Sarah Parsons had one in the Windsor Star–which was later syndicated by the Postmedia network and appeared (with a front-page headline) in every large newspaper across Canada! IOFF was also featured online by CBC-Kitchener and on its Morning Edition radio show. Check out our growing media page! Thanks for taking the time to catch up on IOFF’s latest developments. 89 days … and counting! Karen Hunter, on behalf of The IOFF Team |
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We're full! All 150 spots have now been claimed!
Not 200? Well, some of our venues were a bit small for that number. So, we decided to scale back for comfort.
Many have asked me about participants’ ages, how many men/women, and where everyone is from. These charts show you. |
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Your Final IOFF Payment is due Feb. 1st - If you paid the deposit by credit card, please email Verstraete Travel at anne@verstraete.com to authorize them to put the balance on your credit card.
- For e-transfer, please arrange to send them the balance.
- For cheques, please mail them to Verstraete Travel at the address shown on the invoice.
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We’ve had a change in plans…
You may have noticed that we recently updated the itinerary on our website.
As you know, we’d planned to walk 20 km on May 2nd, 3rd, and 5th plus an additional
10 km on May 9th (into Apeldoorn). |
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Due to some factors outside of our control (involving licenses and permits) and an opportunity to attend the National Dutch Liberation Event, we’ve made some changes. On May 5th (Liberation Day), we’ll walk 7 km, then bus to Wageningen where there will be a WWII exposition, re-enactors, bands, and (the highlight) a Veterans’ Parade (the only one in the NL). |
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On May 9th, we’ll walk 4 km into Apeldoorn. This shorter distance is due to Princess Margriet’s tight schedule that day. Shortly after we meet her, she’ll be leaving by helicopter to attend the Invictus Games in The Hague. |
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Speaking of Apeldoorn ... Judith Bartel-van Beckhoven lives in Apeldoorn. She’s a Rotarian and is married to a Canadian. She emailed me about a special initiative happening there in May called
“The Canadian Walk.” It will be a 2 km walking tour from Het Loo Palace into the downtown area of Apeldoorn and along the way people can scan a QR-code with their phone to get some stories from both Dutch and Canadian perspectives. The route will be launched April 17th, 75 years after the liberation of Apeldoorn. If your father has passed on any memories of something that happened on the way to Apeldoorn, during its liberation, or afterwards (eg. a short story/anecdote or quote), please consider that we would be very interested to add his story in the walk! (The last Canadian soldiers left Apeldoorn at the end of 1945/beginning of 1946). We would also like to have some portrait-like photos of these young soldiers (ideally in which you can see their face well), and as older men. We would like to put these photos on banners along the route between the Palace and downtown. Wouldn’t it be nice to walk that same route of your ancestor and see his picture up there as a tribute! Please feel free to contact her: judithbartel@gmail.com Judith asks that you send your submission before Feb.15th. |
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February Challenge: Research! Do you know your veteran’s unit? His division? His regiment? Many do, though some don’t. It’s not surprising. Few (if any) veterans spoke about their wartime experience. And, obtaining this information through Veteran Affairs’ Library & Archives isn’t straightforward. However, much info can be obtained online, from relatives, and through the Legion. Do you have a Dutch wartime story you could share? Again, some do and others don’t. Again, relatives can be very helpful. Your IOFF challenge for February is to obtain your veterans’ service info and, if at all possible, to write a short story or anecdote about his war experience. You’ll discover that the walk(s) will be much more meaningful for you (and others, as we share stories). What’s more, this research may lead to a special goal you hope to achieve while you’re there … like visiting a certain location in the NL, or meeting a Dutch family. Challenge yourself to research, and learn as much as you possibly can!
Photo credits: Library and Archives Canada
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And, of course, train! With just 3 months to go, it’s time to get outside and start building your stamina!
And, remember, there’s never bad weather—just bad clothing. Build your distance gradually and regularly. Don’t wait until March or April to put on the miles! You’ll only end up injured, and in no shape to walk. Take it easy, enjoy the outdoors, and enjoy the planning and preparation for our journey. |
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Meet Pauline and Maxwell! “What got my mother and I involved with IOFF is our long-time interest in my grandfather’s service during the Second World War,” says Maxwell Thornton, a 21-year-old participant from Mississauga. “Since his service was not talked about a lot, we are still finding info on it." |
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Lieutenant Albert Devereux was originally
a member of the Royal Highland Regiment of Montreal. In 1939, he joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons and landed at Sicily in 1943, then the mainland in 1944 and advanced up as a leader of an armoured car squadron. In March of 1945, he was transferred to the Netherlands, where he liberated Dutch villages and fought into Germany until May 1945. |
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“We joined IOFF because we want to pay tribute to a unique part of our family history and honour the soldiers that fought for our Dominion, to free the Netherlands from the horrors of Nazi tyranny.” |
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Please help us tell Canadians about IOFF! Spread the word among family and friends. Print our colour poster and ask to have it displayed at your local Legion branch, library, bookstore, grocery store, etc. Let’s do this together! | | |
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