About 8,000 people attended a ceremony at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands on Tuesday, in the first of six days of events to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe.

Elderly Canadian veterans wore rain ponchos over their uniforms as they sat in front of rows of white tombstones, each marked with a Maple Leaf.

They are survivors from among the 100,000 Canadian troops that helped liberate the country six decades ago.

Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson told veterans at the memorial service: 'Canadians are proud of you. I am proud of you.'
Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson told veterans at the memorial service: 'Canadians are proud of you. I am proud of you.'

More than 7,600 Canadians were killed in the Netherlands alone and about a quarter of them – more than 2,300 of them – are buried in Groesbeek cemetery.

Canada was represented at the ceremony by Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson and Liberal Senator Art Eggleton.

Calling the cemetery a "beloved parcel of Canadian soil," Clarkson praised Canadian veterans for their bravery.

War veteran Bruce Atkinson criticized the PM and other politicians for letting politics overshadow the ceremonies.
War veteran Bruce Atkinson criticized the PM and other politicians for letting politics overshadow the ceremonies.

"Canadians are proud of you. I am proud of you, as commander-in-chief," Clarkson said. "You deserve every honour you get and every attention that is paid."

She also lauded the Dutch for keeping the memory of the Canadian efforts alive.

"As a family, we stood together against tyranny," said Clarkson.

Veterans salute as the Canadian national anthem is played at the ceremony at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.
Veterans salute as the Canadian national anthem is played at the ceremony at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.

Queen Beatrix and her sister, Princess Margriet, were among the Dutch dignitaries at the ceremony.

Margriet has a special connection to Canada, having been born in an Ottawa hospital where the royal family was living in exile. For her 1943 birth, part of the Ottawa Civic Hospital was temporarily declared Dutch territory so the baby could be a Dutch citizen.

Politicians' absence upsets veteran

Canada initially sent a contingent of politicians to represent the country at the ceremonies, but Minister of Veterans Affairs Albina Guarnieri and MPs were called back as a confidence vote loomed in Ottawa.

Guarnieri is to return to the Netherlands on Saturday for a parade in Apeldoorn, which was liberated by Canadians in April 1945. The town has held a parade through its Canadian-flag-festooned streets each VE-Day since 1985.

Prime Minister Paul Martin and the leaders of other federal parties had decided not to attend the ceremonies because of the political crisis at home. But they said on Tuesday that they would go on Sunday.

But the absence of Martin and other politicians upset veteran Bruce Atkinson, who fought in Nijmegen.

He believes political problems in Canada have overshadowed the importance of the commemoration services.

"All Canadians, especially those who fought for freedom, deserve more respect," said Atkinson, too ill to leave his home in Nova Scotia.

The Allies liberated the Netherlands on May 5, 1945, two days before a German surrender brought the Second World War to a close in Europe.

CBC News will have extensive coverage this week marking the 60th anniversary of VE Day, including live coverage of a ceremony at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands. It will begin at 4:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday on both CBC Television and CBC Newsworld. CBC Radio One and Two will also have special reports.