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The Canadian Ambassador Peter Boehm at the W. L. Bitzer German
Language Awards Presentation in Kitchener
The Annual W. L. Bitzer Awards Presentation, organized by the
German-Canadian Business & Professional Association since 1974,
was graciously hosted this year by the Alpine Club in Kitchener
on October 19th.
Students from Waterloo Region who achieved the highest scores at
the annual language contest, conducted at Wilfrid Laurier
University under the auspices of Dr. Alexandra Zimmermann,
received certificates of merit and sizable cash prizes up to
$1,000 each. Some 2nd-year students who ranked at the
top of their German class received cash awards as well. Those in
first year got their awards in the mail. A total of 56 students
received cash prizes. The school trophy (Wanderpokal) went to
the students at Glenview Park Secondary School in Cambridge with
Nancy Pauls as their dedicated teacher.
During the reception a quartet of Wilfrid Laurier University’s
Music Department entertained sponsors, students, parents and
guests as they filled the hall to capacity. Before the keynote
address of the Ambassador was given, our President Harry Drung,
dignitaries and politicians from Waterloo Region addressed the
audience of about 225. Our first MC Klaus Koeppen ensured that
all seven speakers bringing greetings, had their turn. It is
always a pleasure to hear the Regional Chair Ken Seiling address
the audience in a few sentences in German, followed by Mayor
Carl Zehr.
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| Ambassador Peter Boehm
(c.) with his family (l.) and Marga Weigel & Manfred
Richter (r.) |
The highlight of this year’s Bitzer Event was nevertheless
Ambassador Boehm, who was introduced by Dr. Herminio Schmidt.
Dr. Peter Boehm spoke on many similarities between Canada and
Germany. Both are at the forefront in producing renewable
energy. Canada’s hydroelectricity is the second-largest in the
world. Germany is leading in wind and solar energy, engineering
electric cars, all in an attempt to mothball nuclear energy. At
the Winter Olympics in Vancouver both countries’ contingencies
of athletes were the largest of all
 participating countries. The
Ambassador told us that there are annually 5,000 German young
people between the ages of 18 and 35 visiting, working and
studying in Canada under the Youth Mobility Program. He is
working on increasing the participation for Canadian youths in
this exchange program, since only approximately 500 Canadians
currently make use of it.
Yet, Ambassador Boehm’s most memorable contribution related to
Wilfrid L. Bitzer, long-term Honorary Consul of the
Federal Republic of Germany, who passed away in 1996 at the age
99. Consul Bitzer, a Canadian of German heritage, was
instrumental in assisting many new immigrants as they arrived in
Waterloo Region during the post-war era.
The Ambassador told us the story of a young boy accompanied by
his father looking into a window of the old Eaton store
at King and Water Streets in Kitchener in the early sixties. The
boy was fascinated by an old illustrated Bible on display in the
window. A man coming by heard the two speaking German. He
stopped and asked the boy whether he wanted such a Bible. The
boy nodded and the man, who turned out to be Wilfrid L. Bitzer,
asked him for his name and address and delivered his own
valuable illustrated Bible to him. The Ambassador concluded: “I
still have that Bible, now with me in Berlin and, of course, I
treasure it very much. How apt to name this event in the honour
of Wilfrid L. Bitzer.” The Ambassador’s father Michael Boehm who
attended the event with his wife, daughter and friends, must
have smiled at this reminiscence.
After all sang, “Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit” and the award
recipients and their sponsors came forward, while our second MC
Reinhard Weise advertised the merits of each sponsor’s business,
the evening was concluded by a second reception - catered again
by Werner Kuehlenborg’s Pear Tree Catering Service - with lively
conversations among friends and guests.
Marga Weigel
President of the German-Canadian Education Fund
Division of the German-Canadian Business & Professional
Association
Pictures received by email
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