On a sunny afternoon on November 10, the sanctuary at LUMC filled with people eager to remember and celebrate some 60 years of Canadian citizenship. Many who had the experience of leaving Europe in the late 30’s and early 40’s to build a new life in Leamington and surrounding areas brought their spouses, children and grandchildren along to share stories, poems, songs and memories.
Listening to the presenters, and hearing the Heritage Choir sing in german the favourites of a time now past was truly an experience to appreciate and pass on to our younger generation. Stories of hurt and hardship are hard to hear, but always the sounds of hope, praise and thanksgiving rang through to give us a clear understanding of what it was like to immigrate!
After the program all were invited to gather in the auditorium where individuals and families had on display memorabilia, artifacts, and personal memories. It took a while to look through all the interesting displays and it was a wonderful opportunity to talk to those who had shared. Coffee and platz were in abundance and the crowd ended the afternoon with visiting, tasting the tempting flavours of platz, and more story telling. Thanks to the organizers of the event – it was great!
