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Dutch Ambassador Margriet Vonno (middle) honours our staff with a gift of tulips.
On May 12, 2025, The Ottawa Hospital and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands held a ceremonial visit at the Civic Campus, where Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of the Netherlands, presented tulips to Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, and other hospital staff. The gesture celebrated the strong and enduring relationship between the hospital and the Netherlands.
The event highlighted the deep historical ties between Canada and the Netherlands and symbolized the transition of Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands’ legacy from the Civic Campus — where she was born in 1943 — to The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus.
Tulips as a symbol of gratitude
The tulips Ambassador Vonno presented to staff have long symbolized the strong bond between the Netherlands and Canada. This tradition began with a postwar gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs from Princess Juliana as a thank-you for Canada’s wartime support.
That gift sparked what would become Ottawa’s annual Tulip Festival and continues to serve as a visible and lasting symbol of the bond between the two countries.
A shared history during wartime
Canada became a safe haven for the Dutch Royal Family during the Second World War. Crown Princess Juliana and her children fled to Ottawa in 1940, where they remained until after the war.
Born at what was then called the Ottawa Civic Hospital, Princess Margriet’s birth brought a small ray of light and hope to the people of the Netherlands.
To ensure she would hold only Dutch citizenship, the Canadian government temporarily declared the hospital room extraterritorial. In a unique gesture of solidarity, the Dutch flag was flown over the Peace Tower — the only time in history a foreign flag has been raised there.
Carrying the legacy forward through innovation and care
The visit also highlighted the transition from the Civic Campus to The Ottawa Hospital’s future campus under construction near Commissioners Park — home to many of Ottawa’s tulip beds. This meaningful connection links a place of historical significance with a location that will soon represent the future of health care in the region.
Focused on enhancing patient experience, the new campus will have 641 single-patient rooms, expanded trauma and emergency services, modern surgical suites and dedicated space for research and education. The facility will improve access to care, support innovation and meet the growing health needs of patients across the region.
The Ambassador’s visit offered a moment to reflect on The Ottawa Hospital’s history — while looking ahead to a future in innovation, care and international friendship.
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