Markham - German Pioneers Day 2004

Your Worship, Members of Council, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to celebrate our 5^th German Pioneer Day in your wonderful facilities.

Ten years ago, I listened to a CBC Radio program about the 200^th anniversary of the construction of Yonge St.

They talked about everybody, who supposedly had anything to do with it, except the ones that really did work on it.

Berczy Moll and his group of German settlers were not mentioned once.

I don’t think it was intentional. I believe they actually didn’t know.

My children, and now my grandchildren never heard of it in school. They never heard of Upper Canada being divided into the 4 Districts of Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nassau and Hesse. Nor did they hear of the thousands of German solders who were discharged after the war of 1783 and settled in those lands.

In my opinion, the history of the third largest ethnic group in this country after the English and French is much neglected and needs to be told. The recorded history of the German people in Canada begins in 1664 and its large contributions to Canada, is in desperate need of being recognized and being taught in school.

Today, we have the great honor of presenting an award to organizations that have done much for the preservation our history, our heritage. With dedicated people like them, we have a chance, of maybe someday bringing a complete history of Canada into our classrooms. I cannot thank the

• Markham Historical Society,

• Pennsylvania German Folklore Society,

• Society for the Preservation of History,

• Thornhill Markham Berczy Settlers Association

enough for the work they have done over the years to preserve and record our history. It is a great honor for me, to at least try. Thank You.