The Spring Classical Recital

I am looking forward to attending this lovely event and enjoying the performances of the young and talented students from Hit That Note in Bolton, Ontario at the lovely and charming Christ Church..

Remembering Our Veterans

Growing up in Canada, I am at times struck by the wonderful privileges we had growing up in our beautiful country.

Remembrance Day is a chance for reflection, and I often wonder at the type of childhood my parents must have had growing up in occupied Holland during World War II.

For Dutch people, and those of Dutch heritage, Canada holds a very special place in our hearts.

I am so grateful that my parents made the decision in 1952 to immigrate to Canada. They embraced their new home and country with such enthusiasm, to the point, that it took quite a bit of effort for me to learn Dutch in our household. The emphasis was on becoming Canadian, and that meant speaking English. It was not till much later that I learned some rudimentary Dutch, which served me well when I visited Holland as an adult.

Whenever I visited Holland, family, friends and new acquaintances were always so quick to express their gratitude to the Canadians for their major contribution toward liberating the Dutch from the Nazis.

My heart never fails to fill with pride that I am also a Canadian, and I believe we must never as a country forget these soldiers for their sacrifices.

Every Remembrance Day, I make sure to pause at the 11th hour of that 11th day and 11th month, to remember these special individuals.

But do we in fact, acknowledge our brave soldiers that still serve today, in our peace keeping missions around the world?

Do we honour them enough when they have served our country, and then have tried to resume their lives as civilians? I fear not.

Do we provide them with the healthcare, financial and emotional support if they return home from war torn areas of the world, broken and hurt, physically and mentally? Once again, I fear not.

I ask this question, because of my father. He was born in 1926 and was a teenager during the German occupation. At the tender age of 16, he worked for the Dutch Underground, delivering messages, He was captured toward the end of the war and was sent to a concentration camp. He would never as long as he lived, tell us anything about it.

What I do know is that he suffered greatly psychologically and my mother told me he often woke in a cold sweat after having had horrific nightmares.

My father’s experience reinforced to me the psychological trauma that soldiers must experience.

I am so saddened when I read an article about the poor care our Canadian government provides our veterans. Here is a excerpt from a CBC News article which appeared on February 19th, 2018.

“The original “Veterans Charter” emerging from World War II was truly universal. Every veteran was offered assistance to re-establish life back at home, with programs offering farming equipment and animals, land, homes, education, financial assistance and priority job placements. By 1947, veterans’ benefits were twice the expenditures of national defence and 16 per cent of the federal budget. Canada invested 2.3 per cent of its entire GDP in assisting veterans. This investment in veterans, both economists and historians largely agree, contributed to Canada being one of the most successful post-war economies.”

Sadly, this is not the case today. Since that time, the appreciation for Canadian veterans has been in decline. There seems to be very little respect and regard for what it means to wear a military uniform and to defend the freedoms and rights most of us take for granted.

Current spending on veterans represents a mere 1.2 per cent of the federal budget and 0.2 per cent of GDP.

For me, a child of immigrants, who may not even have been born had the Canadians not been successful in liberating the Netherlands, I can not fathom the lack of respect and honour we give Veterans today.

This Remembrance Day let us remember all our Veterans, past and present, and ensure they are honoured every day with the respect and admiration they deserve.

If you agree with me, please tell your MPs that it is unacceptable to turn our backs on these brave men and women who have served our country with dignity and honour.

Let us in turn, honour them, not with platitudes and easy talk, but with sincerity and action

Christmas Concert in Hockley Village

Join singer Angela van Breemen, and pianist Anthony Alexander for an afternoon of beautiful Christmas music at the pioneer Hockley Historic Church in the charming village of Hockley in support of Procyon Wildlife.

$35.00 for adults

$10.00 for kids 11 and under.

For more information contact Angela at 519.774.4600
or angelavb@procyonwildlife.com

Tickets can be purchased by following this link: https://www.procyonwildlife.com/product-category/2022-christmas-concert-tickets/

Angela is a Soprano Soloist. A firm believer in giving back to the community, she often sings for different charitable organizations.

She is an avid writer of poetry and belongs to the Wordsmiths Writers’ Group and Poetry Circle Group based out of New Tecumseth.

Angela is a volunteer for Procyon Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre, a group dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and safe release of orphaned and injured Ontario wildlife, and serves as their Web Coordinator and Editor of the Procyon Post newsletter. https://www.procyonwildlife.com/

She is also a member of the Wordsmiths in Alliston, Ontario, and the South Simcoe Arts Council.

Anthony Pasternov Alexander (born February 12, 1985 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago), is a multi-faceted pianist and piano instructor from Ajax, ON.

Anthony attended the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and completed a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance & Piano Pedagogy.

With a performance career that spans over 20 years, Anthony has performed throughout Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean. His belief is that music has the power to not only uplift spirits but empower lives.

His goal is to express his true self through the piano, while hopefully connecting with other musicians and music lovers through his passion.

Two Great Events in Hockley Village

December 18th at the pioneer Hockley Historic Church in the charming village of Hockley in support of Procyon Wildlife.

Start out with a photoshoot with Father Christmas from 11:00am to 2:00 pm, then join singer Angela van Breemen, and pianist Anthony Alexander for an afternoon of beautiful Christmas music!

$35.00 for adults

$10.00 for kids 11 and under.

For more information contact Angela at 519.774.4600
or angelavb@procyonwildlife.com

Tickets for the concert can be purchased online https://www.procyonwildlife.com/product-category/2022-christmas-concert-tickets/ or at the centre.

 

Special Message from Angela


Without doubt, all our lives have been changed due to the pandemic, but although it is not possible to be with friends and family, or perform in public, I am striving to grow creatively by sharing my poetry and singing with others.

Summer has faded to a memory and transitioned into autumn. Soon, the days will be even shorter. During the cold winter days to come, I hope these videos and poems will bring solace and hope that brighter days will soon be here.

In the meanwhile, please remain safe.

Angela

CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19: 2nd Annual Procyon Wildlife Charity Concert

Join us on Sunday, September 20th, 2020, at 3:00pm,  at Christ Church Bolton, for our Second Annual Afternoon of Song and help support Procyon Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre!

Accompanied by Peter Han on piano, Angela van Breemen, Soprano Soloist, will be performing beautiful music from Irish and Scottish ballades, musicals and operas. Peter is an accomplished pianist who has also plays the fiddle and is a member of the popular Celtic group, the Flailing Filaleighs.

This high energy Irish band Celtic band specializes in Canadian East Coast, Irish and Scottish music, plus upbeat original songs written by brothers Anthony and Russ Clayton.

We are excited to have bandmembers Anthony Clayton, Matti Palonen and Peter Han join us for an absolutely exciting afternoon of song!

Wildlife centres such as Procyon, receive no government funding, and rely heavily on fundraising. All proceeds from the concert will be donated to Procyon for the continued care, rehabilitation and release of our orphaned and injured Ontario wildlife.

To purchase tickets, please contact Angela at angelavb@procyonwildlife.com or call 519-774-4600. Tickets can also be purchased at Procyon in Beeton or through Christ Church in Bolton.