A Bloom of Friendship

Every spring, Canada's capital city, Ottawa, bursts into colour with hundreds of thousands of tulip blooms. The Canadian Tulip Festival is an annual celebration born of courage, sacrifice and loss, and of a friendship that blossomed between two countries more than half a century ago, The festive floral display symbolizes the special bond between Canada and the Netherlands. During the Second World War, Canadian troops played a key role in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation. Earlier in the war, when Dutch Crown Princess Juliana and her family had to flee their homeland, Ottawa provided a safe haven for them. After the family returned home at the end of the war, Juliana, who had given birth to her third daughter, Margriet, in an Ottawa hospital, presented Canada with 100,000 tulip bulbs in a gesture of gratitude. Each year since, Canada has received 20,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands. A Bloom of Friendship recounts the history of these two countries during the Second World War, and explains the origins of the Canadian Tulip Festival. This publication is a 10th anniversary expanded and updated edition of the original book, first published in 2004, which was shortlisted for numerous children's literary awards. Complemented by poignant testimonies and 90 archival photographs, this book vividly brings a troubled time in history to life and is an inspiring account of international friendship.