AMBASSADOR WIM GEERTS OF THE NETHERLANDS READS FOR REMEMBERANCE DAY

When Canadian troops liberated The Netherlands from Nazi rule in May 1945, a 21-year-old Dutch artist named Mart Kempers was among the cheering throngs who greeted them. Before the year was out, Mr. Kempers would create a series of visually striking images that captured the moment of liberation for a children’s book, HI HA CANADA, published in 1945 by Rotterdam publishing house Luctor.

In early March of this year, Library and Archives Canada acquired one of the few surviving copies for its 160,000-strong children’s literature collection. Ambassador Geerts was asked to read from “hi ha Canada” for CBC’s special Remembrance Day programming on November 8, 2008. To listen to Ambassador Geerts’ reading of “hi ha Canada”, which was taped in Ottawa in front of the national monument, please go to:http://www.cbc.ca/thehouse/audio.html for the media auto. The podcast version can be found at http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?13#ref13