Marinus and Jacoba Bette Staring

I arrived at Pier 21 on February 20, 1952 with my parents and three sisters. I was 7 years old and was sea-sick the entire time, so that when we arrived, I was a wee skinny kid that just barely survived. We left war-torn Europe for a better place. My parents chose Canada because the Canadian soldiers liberated Holland. After we landed, we boarded the train to Union Station, Toronto; we had an uncle who sponsored us, and a church that helped us settle.

For the first half year, I was fed the cream at the top of the milk jugs so I could gain some weight and strength. That didn't always sit well with my sisters, who felt I was "spoiled."

In 2002, I had the opportunity to take my father to Halifax to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our arrival; he was 80 years old. We together absorbed every bit of history that Pier 21 offered. An incredible memory.

We have our parents’ names on the Sobey Wall of Honour. We honour their memory and their choices.

I am now 66 years old, and am working on preserving these memories for the next generation.

Jacoba Jonker (daughter)