RIVERS
BANNER May 27, 2016
ersary v i n Celebrating our 107th An
Gazette-Reporter Serving the Rivers, Rapid City and Oak River areas for 106 years
Volume 108, Issue 45
89¢ + tax
Tulip surprise revealed in spring
Photo by Sheila Runions
Hundreds of tulips bloom at Rivers’ cenotaph park with blood red “flowing” from the soldiers feet while the edges are white for purity and loyalty. The front bed was mapped for planting a Canadian flag.
By Sheila Runions Banner Staff
L
ast September Rivers Legion Ladies Auxiliary were informed they were one of 140 Canadian communities to be awarded a Dutch-Canadian friendship tulip garden. The gardens celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first gift of 100,000 tulips sent to Canada in 1945. The bulbs were given as appreciation for the role Canadian soldiers played in the
liberation of Holland, and the hospitality Canada provided the Dutch royal family so their princess could be born in protection rather than war. Canada even went so far as to declare dual nationality so Princess Margriet would have Dutch citizenship, not Canadian citizenship. Canadian Garden Council coordinated the garden program and more than 400 applications
were received by groups/towns hoping to be awarded free tulips. Rivers was one of four Manitoba communities to have their application approved and the auxiliary was given two weeks notice to rototill the beds and have everything prepared for the bulbs’ arrival. While most of the 700 bulbs (350 each of red and white) were buried on Oct. 6, a planting ceremony on
Oct. 7 involved area auxiliaries, veterans, school children and campaigning politicians. At that time, it was announced they “took some creative licence... it will be a surprise until spring when you see our design.” The design was a Canadian flag. A bloom celebration was held the morning of Wednesday, May 25 in which Kenton and Oak Lake auxiliaries, Rivers
branch and auxiliary members, school students and a few community citizens were present. Following the short speech of thanks by co-ordinator Donna Morken, coffee, cookies and juice were served in the upper hall. It appears as if all 700 bulbs, which were shipped to Rivers from Charlottetown, PEI have bloomed; as Morken, said, “The tulips are gorgeous.”