DCA - What we do

DCA Events

The DCA organizes numerous activities throughout the year: most activities are a lame excuse to get together and eat. And boy, do they like to hang around each other. The best part is, that age is no barrier. The Dutch are a bit invisible in Canada. But every now and then something is happening, which attracts the crowds.

Fall Colour Walk

Ergens in October organiseren we een 'Indian summer' zondagwandeling in het Gatineau Park of andere parken in de omgeving van Ottawa om van de overweldigende kleuren te genieten. Met na afloop een gezamelijke late-lunch. 

Koek en Zopie

In the heart of winter we imitate the Elfstedentocht at the Gouvernor General's private pond at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. We may only skate a hundred yards, but it is all about gezelligheid.

Koffie Klub

aka Koffie Klets, Koffie met Koster and many other names. A very successful monthly event organized by Ria Koster. The secret is to go to the Food Court St in the Laurent Shopping Centre on the last Wednesday of the month. The first arrive at around 10:00 am or shortly thereafter. Need to know more just email

Menno's borrel uurtje

an other success story: For those of you who don't have "their sheep on the dry" or are still working on their first million from 9 to 5 or just can't fit Koffie Klub into their schedule, Menno selects one of Ottawa's finest pubs for happy hour drinks, the first round is usually served at 6:00 pm.
Once a month, when & where is published in the De Postbode©

Nederlandse filmavonden

Wendy organiseert filmavonden voor de koude winteravonden. Vrijwillige bijdrage van 5 dollar om videos, zaalhuur en koffie met koekje, limonade, pinda's en chips te bekostigen. Where are the video nights being held: Heron Road Community Centre in Heron Road, just a few hundred meters east of the intersection Heron-Bank. A three story building, it has a small auditorium at the third floor. Start at 7.30 pm sharp. Dates and movie titles appear throughout the year in the Agenda published on our and in the De Postbode©. Email

Oranje Boven

Once a year around Koninginnedag, we bring out our vlaggetjes, our hoedjes en our toeters, our sjerpen and everything else orange. The 50 ft (17 meter) long flag is unfolded.  Anywhere between 100-200 people visit the event and the hall gets more orange every year!

Picnic, picknick or pique-nique

It doesn't matter how you spell it, on a weekend sometime in the summer one of our scouts roams the area for a nice shady "stekje". You come with the kids, take along your voetbal and prepare a nice tasty dish that you will also share with the others. You'll be very busy wasting your whole afternoon doing nothing worthwhile. You'll spot us "op een kilometer" with our orange umbrellas and DCA flag and we will take care of the hibachi and the charcoal.

Prinses Margriet Café at the annual Tulip Festival

One of the major events for the Dutch community is our annual cafe at the Tulip festival. The dedicated Tulip festival team has organised a modern variety of the 'bruin café' with lots of success. A band in from Nederland, Grolsch, kroketten, erwtensoep, en bitterballen. Kinderliedjes by Ottawa based "The Madurodammertjes" en lots of  Delftsblauw from China, sold by the Windmill Association, appreciated by Dutch and Americans alike.

Sinterklaas

Organised around Sinterklaas' birthday at December 5th, children and adults get exited every year again. The DCA organises an evening with hot chocolate, oliebollen, music and dance and a visit of Sinterklaas and one of his Pieten. 

Sunday Brunch

Every few months we organize a get together late Sunday morning at around 10:30am at a local diner, restaurant or cafe like Canal Ritz. We chat, we eat, we laugh, we gossip and pay the 15 bucks when we leave a few hours later. Nothing formal just "gezellig" and you still have the better half of the Sunday for the family or other activities.

Thee & Talenten

Een van de nieuwste get-togethers eens in de zes weken o.l.v. [includes/email-NelKorver.htm], meestal in de middag bij een van de leden thuis, al bereiken we inmiddels wel de grens met over de 15 deelnemers. Central in deze bijeenkomst staat een lezing of voordracht over ervaringen or vaardigheden maar waarbij andere onderwerpen niet taboe zijn.

... more going on in the Valley

But there is a lot more going on in the Valley. Take a look at this:

CAANS

Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies. This 27  year old organization has approximately 300 members and chapters in seven major cities in Canada. The Ottawa Chapter is very active with lectures and slide presentations on a variety of topics. In Dutch or English. Contact: see 'contact us' page.

Dutch Radio

Every week Lia Weiland presents an hour of Dutch music on CHIN Radio 97.9 FM

Double Dutch Radio

Every week Leo Heistek presents an hour of Dutch music on CHIN Radio 97.9 FM, 6-7 am. Leo can be heard digging into his own old record chest and / or playing requests. For Dutch early birds at an un-Godly hour!

Contact Leo Heistek at 749-2391 or visit:

http://www.therenfrews.com/doubledutch

Dutch Language classes

Program for children through grade 8 and credit programs for adults. On Monday evening from 7:00 to 9:30. For more information, visit the Ottawa Dutch Language School's web site.

'Dutch for Pleasure' classes

Register for one of the seasonal sessions of 'Dutch for Pleasure' classes for Dutch-speaking adults. Held Saturday mornings, it's fun and touches on Dutch culture, literature, cabaret with access to current video, audio and written material. Since 1988!

Contact Leo Heistek at 749-2391 or visit:

http://www.therenfrews.com/spreekjemoerstaal

Dutch Book Reading Club

in the capital region meets at regular intervals to read and discuss Dutch language books. Fluency in Dutch is required. No fees. Email

Klaverjas Club

Meets weekly. For information, contact Bill Sturrus. (613) 225-4965

Kumpulan Djempol

is a group of Dutch survivors of Japanese POW and civilian camps during World War II. The members all live in the Ottawa/Montreal area and since October 1992 they have been meeting on a regular basis. Every year in August they hold a service to commemorate August 15, 1945, the day that peace came to the Pacific and to remember the victims of that war. Need to know more just email

Music

Smartlappen

an informal group of enthusiasts who love to sing André Hazes tributes. Get-togethers usually in the evening on the first Monday of the month. Email [includes/email-NelKorver.htm]

Dutch Choral Society

For 50 years the Dutch Choral Society has been bringing Dutch culture to the Ottawa-Hull region through song. A wide variety of classical and popular music in English and Dutch. Practice: Tuesday evening at Merivale United Church 1876 Merivale Road just south of Hunt Club Road. Director: Margaret Van Dyk. For more information, see www.dutchchoralsociety.ca, or contact:

Dutch Treat

This happy bunch sings old Dutch folk songs and everything else they like. They don't take life to seriously. If you want to learn klompendansen, Henk is your man! Contact:

Ottawa Carleton Male Choir

The New Ottawa Carleton Male Choir under the direction of Archie Smith is looking for new members. They practice every Wednesday night from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Calvin Christian Reformed Church, 1475 Merivale Road in Nepean. The OCMC made a concert tour through The Netherlands from May 8 to May 23, 2002 with 8 concerts all across the Netherlands. Interested? For more information, call Cor Hogeveen at 224-1597 or Henk Huizinga at 821-1208. The OCMC's own web site is www.ocm-choir.cityslide.com