November 12, 2025. On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the Annual Remembrance Service was held at Crapaud Community Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island.  Pieter was invited by Connie MacKinnon, on behalf of the village of Crapaud, to be the guest speaker. 

The service, led by Rev. Margaret Collins and Rev Eric Lynk, included an honour guard from the Kingston Legion Branch No. 30, two sea cadets from the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps No. 23 Kent in Charlottetown, pianist Susan MacKay.  Peter Bevan-Baker, MLA for District 17 New Haven – Rocky Point, played ‘The Last Post’ and ‘Rouse’ on his trumpet. 

….Pieter was introduced by The Honourable Mary Robinson, Senator….

Pieter was introduced by The Honourable Mary Robinson, Senator, using almost the same text as in a statement about him that she had read out on October 8, 2025 in the Senate of Canada. You can watch the original statement below:  (See also https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/sen/Y3-451-23-eng.pdf page 763)  

It was an emotional moment for Pieter as he heard this beautiful introduction, and it took him a few seconds to regain his composure before facing the microphone.

….Pieter’s presentation was built around 5 words….

Pieter’s presentation began by saying “…I’d like to share what Remembrance Day means to me….and my wife Daria.  Five words come to mind…. Gratitude… Sorrow ….Thankfulness…. Respect….. and Admiration…” 

He spoke about being born during the Hunger Winter in The Netherlands.  “…So many people starved to death that winter! In the days before social media, how many people around the world knew about the impact of starvation on an occupied population? 

Allied soldiers not only liberated us from Nazi rule, they saved us from starvation….” 

Here are a few excerpts from his presentation about the five words:  “…In gratitude, now that I’m retired, one way for me to honour those who lost their lives in war is to research and share the stories of Canadians who served and died in the First and Second World Wars, helping to ensure that they will never be forgotten.

That brings me to sorrow….not only for the thousands of Allied soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, but also the families that lost their loved ones….children, siblings, parents who never were able to return home to live their lives, but instead are buried overseas…..

Thankfulness is also never far from my mind, thankfulness that we live in peace here in Canada….”   Pieter then spoke briefly about his experience while serving with the Royal Netherlands Air Force during the Cold War.

“…I have deep respect for those who served in war….” he said, and mentioned the various research projects we’ve been involved in since 2014.  In reflecting on our trip to Europe this past spring to visit 14 cemeteries and place flags at 383 graves, he noted that “…we met other visitors, many accompanied by children, who stopped to ask if we were Canadian, and to then say thank you….”   

As he neared the end of his presentation, he explained that “…the more that I learn about our Canadian soldiers, the more admiration I have for the courage they showed in battle, their steadfastness in looking out for their comrades, and the way they kept their sense of humour while being away from their families and the comforts of home….”

As always, he ended his speech by reaffirming that “…remembrance of those who gave their lives for our continued freedom is important, and no soldier buried overseas should ever be forgotten.  Thank you….”

….The service was followed by a chance to socialize….

Following his speech, Pieter was thanked by Margaret Armsworthy, Chief Administrative Officer at the Crapaud Council.   

After the wreaths were laid, and the closing prayers were said, it was a time to chance to socialize and thank Senator Mary Robinson in person for her introduction. She’d attended the service with her family, including her mother Hazel Robinson.

We also had a chance to say hello to our former dentist, Peter Bevan-Baker, who is now the MLA for District 17 New Haven – Rocky Point. 

…Text of the statement read out in the Senate of Canada by The Honourable Mary Robinson, Senator….

“….Honourable senators, imagine a country in ruins. It is May 1945. The Netherlands has endured years of Nazi occupation — families starving, freedom extinguished, hope nearly gone. And then, on the horizon, the people see soldiers bearing a maple leaf. It is the First Canadian Army. Liberation has come.

More than 7,600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen gave their lives between September 1944 and April 1945 to free the Netherlands. Their sacrifice is written not only in history books but also in the very soil where they rest.

During those dark years, Canada also became a safe haven for the Dutch Royal Family. In a remarkable gesture of friendship, in 1943, our government declared a hospital ward in Ottawa to be extraterritorial land so that Princess Margriet could be born on Dutch soil here in Canada. To this day, every spring, Ottawa blossoms with tulips — a living reminder of the bond between our two nations.

Fast forward to July 2, 2025, just after the eightieth anniversary of liberation. His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands appointed Pieter Valkenburg as Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. This honour, created in 1892, is conferred on people who have made a contribution of outstanding value and have rendered meritorious service of national importance to the Netherlands.

Allow me to introduce Sir Pieter Valkenburg.

A retired veteran of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Dutch Foreign Service, Sir Pieter, with his wife, Daria, made Prince Edward Island their home. From my community, and now their community, of North Tryon, they have built something extraordinary: the project On The War Memorial Trail.

What began in 2014 as a personal research journey has grown into a mission of remembrance. Pieter and Daria have identified the graves of hundreds of Canadian soldiers who fell in the Netherlands. This year alone, they visited 14 cemeteries in the Netherlands and Belgium, placing Canadian flags, provincial flags and, where it was fitting, Acadian and Indigenous flags. Each flag was a promise: We remember you.

In 2025, they honoured 383 Canadian graves — soldiers from all 10 provinces and from the Yukon, 60 of them from our own Prince Edward Island. Imagine that — Island sons resting in foreign soil, remembered by neighbours half a world away.

Honourable senators, I invite you to join me in celebrating this inspiring man.

Sir Pieter, they say the Dutch never forgot their liberators. But today, let us turn that truth around: Canada will never forget you and the tireless work you have done to keep the legacies of our soldiers alive.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. It is an honour and a source of pride to have you as a neighbour in North Tryon, Prince Edward Island…..”

Thank you to Connie MacKinnon for inviting Pieter to speak.  Thank you to The Honourable Mary Robinson, Senator, for both her introduction at the Remembrance Service and her statement in the Senate of Canada. Thank you to Annie Lee MacDonald for providing a copy of Senator Robinson’s statement, to Hazel Robinson for sending the video, and to Wendy Nattress for converting it to a shareable link.

The work of remembrance of those who served continues.  More Remembrance Week stories to come.

If you have a story to tell, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/ 

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw. 

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