Jason van Bruggen’s photographs are laminated on each side, featuring the faces of Canadian soldiers, Dutch civilians and resistance members who recall the liberation of the Netherlands 80 years ago.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Surrounded by the budding greenery of Mississauga’s Lakeshore Park, Jason van Bruggen gently brushes dust off the bright orange steel structures dotting the lawn outside the Small Arms Inspection Building.
Modelled after Second World War Czech tank breakers, called hedgehogs, the sculptures measure more than a metre tall. Mr. van Bruggen’s photographs are laminated on each side, featuring the faces of Canadian soldiers, Dutch civilians and resistance members who recall the liberation of the Netherlands 80 years ago.
These sculptures are a permanent addition to an exhibition that will run next week inside the building, commemorating the key role the Canadian Armed Forces played in liberating the country.
Hosted with the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Toronto, the exhibit, entitled “80 Years of Freedom,” features the portrait series 80 Faces of Freedom by Mr. van Bruggen, who is Dutch-Canadian, as well as the hedgehog sculptures by Canadian designer Brett Belcher and Dutch Canadian creative director Job Rutgers. Adorning the walls inside the arms building – where weapons used in the war were made – 80 photographs accompanied with short biographies aim to memorialize tales of bravery, community and resilience, Mr. van Bruggen said.
Many of the subjects, some of whom are in their hundreds, have since died. Of having heard their stories, Mr. van Bruggen said, “I have nothing but gratitude. I feel so privileged.”
Starting in September, 1944, Canadian and allied troops pushed German forces out of the Netherlands. The First Canadian Army, which lost more than 7,600 soldiers during the Dutch liberation, played a crucial role. Ultimately, on May 5, 1945, Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes reached a capitulation agreement with German forces in the Netherlands.
The sculptures are a permanent addition to an exhibition that will run next week inside the Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga. Mr. van Bruggen with his portrait of Johan Wolters, on May 8.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Mr. van Bruggen said he hopes the exhibit and the sculptures will strengthen the bond between the two countries that was forged in the war.
Born in Toronto to Dutch immigrants, Mr. van Bruggen said his parents never talked about their experiences during the war because they felt their memories were too painful to revisit.
Mr. van Bruggen said his desire to know more about the tales his parents never told inspired him to study history. After he got a master’s degree from Queen’s University, he found a photograph of his aunt, standing in The Hague’s central square, waving a Dutch flag in celebration of being liberated from Nazi occupation. He said this image inspired him to pursue this project.
Over three years, Mr. van Bruggen photographed 80 Canadian soldiers, Dutch civilians and resistance members who lived through the war, one for each year of freedom. As he gathered their stories and took their portraits, he said he was struck by their courage.
Among those photographed is Aad van Schoten, 97, who was a child in the Netherlands during the war.
Mr. van Schoten told Mr. van Bruggen: “Even now, after all these years, I can’t say the memories fade. They’re etched into my life, my family, our walls. And they matter. Because silence is never just silence – it is the space where truth either disappears or becomes legacy. I choose the latter.”
Mr. van Bruggen with his portrait of Aad van Schoten. Mr. van Schoten was a child in the Netherlands during the war.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Mr. van Bruggen said far-right populism worldwide, the invasion of Ukraine and anti-immigrant rhetoric are all eerily similar to the climate before the Second World War. He is hopeful the exhibition will inspire those who engage with it to consider what they would do in the face of similar threats.
“The images and firsthand testimonies in this exhibition serve both as a warning about the devastating effects of totalitarianism, occupation and discrimination and as a tribute to the resilience and courage of those who endured,” Mr. van Bruggen said. “These stories are not just history; they are a call to conscience.”
The Grand Opening Tribute & Liberation Reception will take place on Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga, with guests including Dutch royalty, descendants and survivors. The exhibit will remain open to the public on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Select portraits and stories will also be featured in a coming documentary, 80 Stories of Freedom, directed and produced by Mr. van Bruggen, premiering at Hot Docs International Documentary Festival on May 18.