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KLEES: German Day Of Unity A Reminder of German-Canadian Community’s Great Contributions to Ontario
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| Honorable Tony Ruprecht, MPP and the Consul General of the Federal Republic of German on the occasion of the German National Day |
For Immediate Release October 1, 2008
KLEES: German Day Of Unity A Reminder of German-Canadian Community’s Great Contributions to Ontario
(Queen’s Park) Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees today made the following statement in the Parliament of Ontario:
“Mr. Speaker, as a proud German-Canadian, I rise in the House to pay tribute to the Day of German Unity or the “Tag der Deutschen Einheit” that commemorates the reunion of East and West Germany on October 3rd, 1990.
“German reunification became a reality after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the very symbol of the Iron Curtain, in November, 1989. On August 23rd, 1990 the new parliament of East Germany voted to approve accession with West Germany and on
October 3rd, 1990, the two countries officially became the unified Federal Republic of Germany. That evening the Unity Flag was raised over the Platz der Republik. The six by ten meter flag is the largest official flag in Germany and has flown day and
night since it was first raised.
“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that Canadians of German origin have been an integral part of the establishment and ongoing development of the province of Ontario since the 18th century. More than 70% of the population of our province at that time
were comprised of citizens of German background. This is especially reflected in the fact that on July 24, 1788, King George III, by royal proclamation, named the early districts of Ontario after Luneberg, Mecklenburg, Nassau and Hesse . Canadians of German origin are truly among the first founders of Ontario .
“On behalf of the Ontario PC Caucus, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Holger Raasch and Mrs. Jacqueline Raasch and our entire German-Canadian community on Germany ’s National Day of Unity.”
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