Dave Van Kesteren is in the home-stretch of his career as MP for Chatham-Kent Leamington and on Monday, he became part of Canadian political history.
He had the honour of being the first Member of Parliament to give a speech in the new House of Commons chamber in Ottawa as he introduced his private member’s bill M-207 to have May 5 designated as Dutch Heritage Day across Canada.
“It’s just incredible,” he said.
Van Kesteren, was first elected in 2006, was originally slated to introduce his private member’s bill near the end of 2018, but the house rose a day early, so it was delayed.
Then he received a call that private members’ business would be the first thing up when parliament resumed sitting on Monday in the new house and he will be the first to speak.
“It just about knocked me out,” Van Kesteren said.
He added his colleagues from all political parties have offered tremendous support for the bill.
“This is the perfect thing to talk about is the unity of Canada, what makes us great is our diversity,” Van Kesteren said of his speech.
He added the sacrifices made by Canadian veterans in the Liberation of Holland was a central theme.
Van Kesteren called it a tremendous honour to introduce this bill, which he has put a lot of thought into knowing this is his last term as an MP.
“It’s my way to honour my country, honour the sacrifices that were made by those that liberated the country of my parents,” he said. “I thought it would be a good way to go out.”
He was born two years after his parents arrived in Canada from Holland and received a train ticket to Chatham, Ont., after landing at the famed Pier 21 in Halifax.
“I got to get a front row seat to see what it’s like to be an immigrant in a new country, what it’s like to struggle, what it’s like to have all these opportunities, what it’s like to be accepted within a culture.”
Noting the integration of the Dutch as well as other ethnic groups that have come to Canada didn’t happen overnight, Van Kesteren said he sees how it has been a blessing to his children and grandchildren.
He said it is “just a representation of all these (ethnic) groups that have come to this country.”
He noted other than First Nations people, “we are all immigrants.”
Based on the support he has received, Van Kesteren is feeling confident the bill will pass sometime in March, which will provide time to plan for the first Dutch Heritage Day on May, 5. This day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945 during the Second World War, which Canada played a major role in as 7,600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen died in action.
Van Kesteren said representatives from the Dutch Embassy were present in the house on Monday as he introduced the bill.
“They’re really excited and we hope to do something and make it an event.”
Dutch Heritage Day won’t be a national holiday, if passed.
But, Van Kesteren said celebrations to mark the day will be as big as people are willing to make them.
from Chatham Daily News http://bit.ly/2UqMNB2
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