The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Weêekend 781 MAIN ST. #1 & 2, MILTON 876-4785 A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 140 No. 49 Fniday, September 3, 1999 28 Pages $ 1.00 (GST included) Across time and space, a chi*ld's memories become man 's mission By IRENE GENTLE The Champion The biggest triumphs can be wrapped in the unlikeliest packages. Like when Phillip Plas entered the gracious Sixth Line home of Betty and (jerry Vanderende last weekend, he used the front door. It was a jubilant arrivai for the man who once huddled in hidey- holes as a Jewish chiid in occupied Holland during the Second World Wàr. Lice and Ioss seemed to be little "After he thought about it, be oealized Phillip's only allies wben be came to Ms what a big risk my mother was taking," Vanderende's parents, Theresa and said Ms Vanderende. Hendrik Veenstra in 1943. His petitioning bore fruit - the ceremo- He was five years old. ny took place last Sunday at the Adas "During the war you had problems witb tsael Synagogue in Hamilton. lice," said Ms Vanderende, who was 10 The honour came too late for Ms when the small boy with the dark com- se BlI DING on page 2 piexion, hair and eyes arrived in her child- d hood home. "He wore a knitted sweater and il was so full of lice my mother had to throw it inM the stove." A o trba o The Ioss of a sweater was no small tbing .,oe trba d in tigbtly rationed wartime. A taulty heater was the cause of But deprivation was second nature tO o damoigsrgnbmbae Phillip. at a No. 5 Sideroad chicken farm, say Separated from his parents at age tbree, fire officiais. the child was captured by the Germans, Preparing 10 receive a Ioad of then whisked away in a dramatic escape 23,000 chicks, an operator of the by Holland's flourisbing underground Opsteen family tarm turned on movement. portable heaters, one of which caught "There were many, many moves," tire. recalled Mr. Plas, now a plump man of 60 The blaze waa called in shortiy atter with gentie eyes and a smile warm enough 7:30 arn. atter farm workers smeiled to meit butter during a deep freeze. "When smoke. 1 came to the family 1 had a littie history in The flames spread rapidly through- hiding."out the barn, burning for hours as fire- S did heVentrs fighters battled 10 knock the fire dlown. As a member of the underground, Mr. N nmi eeu h aoadn Veenstra was constantly on the move one was hurt. The loss is estimated at $300,000 while bis wife raised their four children. si akCoso h itnFr So when he pulled his motorbike up to Department. the famiiy home with Pbîllip perched on Firefighlers froro two local stations the pillion, Ms Veenstra took the child in and Halton His responded 10 the without besitation. blaze. For a woman witb ber strong religious faitb, it was juat the right tbing to do. Doing the right tbing was also wbat fa 'ÉF compelled Mr. PIas to fly in from Holland c more than 55 years later to reunite witb the * W W Oa. c* t surviving members of the Veenstra family. *Dame Fit'* 8mua a i'wma*' For the past two years, be bas been peti- -MAHKETPLAes SUNDAY sEfT 4. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE tioning the Holocaust Institute in Israel to ea 051* Mr. SUb b warm smilea of a reunitod Philip PUas and Betty Vanderende overlay the somnetimes sad award tbero a recognition reserved for *Mil Marktliace memories of thlr firet meeting as chiidren In occupied Hoiland durlng the Second World War. bolocaust beroes and martyrs. 81wvoiM