Dutch Treat

Arriving in Sudbury from Holland in 1973, this industrious couple opened a successful seafood restaurant—the first of its kind in the area

Our journey to Canada began towards the end of November 1973. It was not an easy decision, as I had a very good job in Holland, working as a purchaser and merchandiser with Albert Heijn—a large supermarket chain.

However, one of our three daughters, Mieke, needed open-heart surgery and the waiting list at home was too long. On the advice of our doctor in Amsterdam, we headed to Canada, where Mieke was looked after immediately at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

That was the good news. The bad news was that the value of our money in Canadian dollars was instantly reduced by almost 75 per cent. But

this did not deter us from starting our own business about seven months later.

Our seafood restaurant was a first for the citizens of Sudbury and became an instant success. My wife Anke and I worked very hard as we continued to raise our three daughters, Charlotte, Mieke and Mirjam. Although we had to give up a lot, we managed very well and our girls, aged seven, five and two when we arrived here, learned English quickly and did rather well in school.

After four years, we moved into a nice house on Ramsey Lake. Our business grew steadily and we had to expand many times. As the girls grew up, they helped us at work and at home. All three are married now and we have four grandsons—all tall!

Anke and I retired some eight years ago, after we sold our business. Canada has been very good to us and our family. Mieke (who had the heart surgery as a child) worked as a flight attendant for a while later in life and was often assigned to Amsterdam flights, on which she did the announcements in Dutch. She now works with pre-school children who have severe physical or psychological problems. Our eldest, Charlotte, is still employed with the restaurant while our youngest daughter Mirjam works in retail.

Anke and I have been back to the Netherlands many times, and we will never forget our “old country,” but Canada is really home for us—we just love this country!