80 Faces, 80 Years: Art at new campus site honours Dutch liberation and connections to Canada
Jun 16, 2025
To mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War, The Ottawa Hospital has worked with the Embassy of the Netherlands to display a new art installation on the site of our new campus.
The powerful art installation by Dutch-Canadian artist Jason van Bruggen honors the enduring bond between the Netherlands and Canada and showcases striking images and moving stories of Dutch citizens who survived the Second World War and lived in the Netherlands during its liberation.
Canadians played a vital role in the liberation of the Netherlands and hosted the Dutch royal family during the war. The birth of Princess Margriet at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus in 1943 deepened this lasting connection, and as a thank-you for Canada’s wartime support, Princess Juliana gave 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada as a gift. That gift would begin a long-standing tradition and inspired what would become Ottawa’s annual Tulip Festival.
Five of the photos and stories are currently on display on Carling Avenue at Sherwood Drive on the site of The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus.