Dutch Community

Dutch Community in Hamilton | General Information about Netherlands

Dutch Community in Hamilton

Population in Canada:

923,310
Population in Hamilton:

23,330
Major Languages:

Dutch
Religions:

Roman Catholic and Dutch Christian Reformed are predominant, although Holland is a multicultural Country and all religions have been welcomed.

Common Foods

Famous Dutch foods are the various cheeses i.e. gouda and edam and dutch chocolates.

Traditional Clothing

Dutch clothing is the same as Canadian clothing.

Art and Culture

Major Ethnic businesses in Hamilton:

Turkstra Lumber Ltd., Dutch flower growers, Dutch grocery stores.
Major occupations of the community's members:

Dutch people are found working in many occupations and disciplines in Canada.
Areas of residence of the community's members:

The Dutch are known for integrating very well into the community.
Dance:

The Congolese enjoy listening and dancing to live or recorded Congolese jazz.
Visual Arts:

Nature paintings are very popular.
Musical Instruments:

Virginal, rommelpot, fiddle. The Dutch have a long history of musical instrument making, usually copies from the better known Italian, French and German instruments.
Instrument's historical background:

In Vermeer's paintings many musical instruments are depicted. His love for music and his intent to educate the people were evident in his paintings. Vermeer was also a great collector of instruments.
Art Festivals:

There are many art festivals in Holland, and each city has its own. The major ones are the celebrations of the most significant dutch artists, i.e. in 1998 it was Van Gogh's centenniary of his death, which was celebrated all over the Country and the Van Gogh Museum was inaugurated. In 2006, it is the 400th year celebration of Rembrandt Van Rhyn's birth. (www.Holland.com)
Theatre

Jack De Keyzer is the most popular Dutch musician.
Musicians

The Old Schouwburg Theatre in Amsterdam is known for promoting the great playwrights and actors in Dutch History. A famous playwright is Joost van den Vondel.
Music

The Netherlands has a long history of music, The Amsterdam Concertgebouw is famous for its concerts and Orchestra. Bernard Haytink has been conductor of the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. A famous 19th Century composer Baron Van Wassenear's music is still been played all over the world. Holland is famous for its many blues/jazz festivals held in many of it's great cities. Nowadays the dutch people enjoy a variety of music, anything from rock to pop to new age.(Dutch Music)
Dance

The Netherlands Dance Theatre's home is in Amsterdam and houses many ballet dancers from all over the world. The Dutch National Ballet represents Holland and its long history of dance has taken this Company all over Europe in exchanges with other National Ballet Companies such as the Russian Bolshoy Ballet Company. Holland has one national folk dance, usually demonstrations are done for the tourist in the different parts of Holland, i.e. The Klompen dance.
Visual Arts

Holland is the home for many great artists. There have been several centuries of creative artists who are still revered all over the world. Just to mention a few: Rembrandt Van Rhijn, Vincent Van Gogh, Piet Mondriaan, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer etc. Not to forget the The Hague School of Stillife painters of the 19th/20th century.
Photography

Anton Corbyn, Marjan Borsjes, Johan Van der Keuken and Piet Zwart (contemporary photographers)
Major Films

Turkish Delight, Antonia's Line, Soldier of Orange and many more. (Dutch Films)
Archaeological / Cultural sites

There are many archeological sites in The Netherlands, since the Dutch Government is always reclaiming land. Several cultural sites have been discovered, i.e. The Hunnebedden in the Province of Drente and the Roman Wall in the Province of Limburg near Maastricht.
Literature

Jan Wolkers, Remco Campert, Hella S. Haasse, Harry Mulisch, Gerard Reve, Cees Nooteboom and Commie Palmen, just to name a few. Rien Poortvliet and Dick Bruna are famous children's literature writers and illustrators.
Museums

Amsterdam Rijks Museum, Kroller Mueller Museum in Apeldoorn, Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Vab Boymans/Beumingen in Rotterdam, Utrecht's War Museum. Every city in Holland has at least one Museum. The list is endless.

The Dutch in Hamilton

Community Organizations / Associations(s):

DUCA, Dutch Credit Union .
Organization Address:

Mount Forest Plaza, Burlington, Ontario. L7P 1H4.

Phone: 905 315 7981
Fax: 905 315 8034
Newcomer Professions:

The Dutch people who migrate to Canada take up occupationd as farmers, skilled workers, teachers and tradespeople. The rest of the community is employed as Taxi Drivers or factory workers, and the major employers are Stelco Company and Blue Line Taxis. The community is involved in fruit farming, tobacco farming and tree farming.

General Information about Netherlands

Location:

The Netherlands is located on the Nord Sea in the west, Germany in the East and Belgium in the South. It is 33,811 square kilometres, with about 1/3 of the land below Sea level. The highest point is in the South/East, the province of Limburg. The Vaalser Berg is 1084 feet above sealevel. Holland has 11 provinces and several reclaimed new Islands in the Yselmeer.Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Climate:

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Capital City:

Amsterdam and the Hague
Celebrations:

Easter Holiday, Queen Juliana's Birthday April 30, May 5, Freedom's Day, November 1, All Saints Day, December 5, Sint Nikolaas and December 25 and 26, Christmas Holidays. Dutch Bazaar in Thornhill, in October and Dutch Sinterklaas on December 5th
National Symbols:

Wilhelmus Van Nassau, 3 Equal horizontal stripes of red, white and blue (red is the top color, white in between and blue at the bottom).The two national emblems are the lion and the stork.
National anthem:

Het Wilhelmus (The William [viz. 'song']). the oldest national anthem in the world.listen