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Read the latest news releases and articles from Dominion Command of The Royal Canadian Legion.

 

Liberation 75: The Royal Canadian Legion partners with the Canadian Tulip Festival

May 13, 2019
The Royal Canadian Legion celebrated the launch of the 2019 Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, alongside partners including the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the National Capital Commission and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

The Royal Canadian Legion celebrated the launch of the 2019 Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, alongside partners including the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the National Capital Commission and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

The national festival features a special initiative this year that will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands in 2020.  As part of the initiative, people will be encouraged to help plant 1.1 million “Liberation 75” bulbs this year, to remember the 1.1 million Canadians who served during the Second World War.

Legion National Headquarters is supporting this initiative and its branches across the country will be invited to take part. Some branches may promote the sale of the orange-coloured Liberation 75 bulbs; others may hold special planting ceremonies along with community partners.

“The Royal Canadian Legion is honoured to partner with the Canadian Tulip Festival in such an important way in the coming year,” said Vice Admiral (Ret’d) and Royal Canadian Legion Grand President Larry Murray.

As a reflection of the festival’s support for veterans in Canada, The Royal Canadian Legion will receive a percentage from every bag of bulbs sold, to help with its mission of serving veterans and their families, promoting remembrance, and serving our communities.

In addition, the festival’s national floral partner Bloomex, will also donate a percentage of proceeds from the purchase of its “Celebration Bouquet” this year, the official bouquet of the 2019 Canadian Tulip Festival.

“The beauty, peace and tranquility of this unique annual festival really embodies the essence of the close friendship – almost family relationship - that exists between the Netherlands and Canada,” said Murray. “This very special relationship was born nearly 75 years ago in war and freedom, and has endured ever since.”

The Legion itself has an additional special relationship with the Netherlands and the Dutch royal family. Prince Floris, the son of Princess Marguerite, is the godson of The Royal Canadian Legion.

At the end of the Second World War, Canada received an initial gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands, and smaller gifts have been received yearly since. At the launch event, the Netherlands announced its intention to supply 100,000 bulbs for 2019,  in honour of Liberation 75 activities. The National Capital Commission announced it would do the same.

The Royal Canadian Legion salutes the Veterans who fought to liberate the Netherlands nearly 75 years ago. We will remember them.


About The Royal Canadian Legion

Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S., Europe and Mexico. With close to 260,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

Public Relations / Media Inquiries: 613-591-3335 ext. 241 or PublicRelations@Legion.ca

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