On October 9, 2001, the day after Thanksgiving, German Pioneers Day was celebrated at Kitchener's City Hall for the second time. Mayor Carl Zehr kindly made his official space available again this year.

Exhibits showing the history in print and pictures and as museum pieces (which included a full size wagon in front of City Hall) were open to the public beginning at 11:00 and Films were shown as of noon in Council Chambers.

To the delight of visitors roaming the exhibits, the Transylvania Hofbr�u Band, under the direction of Steve Shantz entertained in advance of the official ceremonies, which were kicked off by Pioneers Day Chairman James Breithaupt, Q.C., followed by Rev. Matthias Pfeiffer's invocation and the singing of the National Anthems of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The Transylvania Hofbr�u Band entertains the guests

The event was honoured by greetings from the Prime Minister's and Premier's offices, from Ambassadors of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, from MPP's and MP's of neighbouring regions, and by the physical presence of Wayne Wettlaufer and MP's and MPP's representing Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Wellington Ridings in Ottawa and Queens Park, by the Region of Waterloo chairman, mayors of the cities and by representatives of the German Consular Offices, the German Canadian Congress and the Germanic Department of the University of Waterloo. Clergy from many churches and Presidents from German Clubs, Associations, and Heritage societies participated in the smooth flow of the festivities.

Well-considered speeches made reference to the tough times our ancestors faced and the benefits we derive today from their courage and efforts. We were reminded that challenge after challenge was met over the two centuries in Ontario and that we all need to stand together to face and meet today's challenges with courage and persistence. The audience, numbering more than 300 with eventual standing room only, listened enthusiastically and applauded with pure joy at the attempts made to make at least a part of each speech in German, particularly if the pronunciation of a word here and there took a moment or two to be recognized as German.

A favourite again this year was the performance of the Concordia School Children's Choir under the direction of Angelika Werner. The choir's highlight performance of "Oma liebt Opapa" ("Grandma loves Grandpapa") (a repeat from last year by popular demand) had the audience breaking out with roaring applause and tears in their eyes.

Angelika Werner conducts the Concordia School Children's Choir lifting the spirit at German Pioneers Day with delightful songs

This year's pageant in two acts (last year was Adam Beck throwing the switch to deliver electricity to Kitchener) re-enacted the decorating and lighting of the first Christmas tree by Mrs. von Riedesel in Sorel, Quebec in 1781 and King George III's Declaration of 1788, which established four districts in Upper Canada (from east to west: Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nassau and Hesse. (Kitchener is in Hesse).

Lord Dorchester's Proclamation of 1788 re-enacted.

The pageant, written by Heinz Guerlin and Coordinated by Manuel Seilern, involved over 30 actors, not counting members of 5 Choirs. The pageant was well received, if a bit difficult to handle with so many participants in a venue not entirely intended for the equipment required for sound amplification and related acoustics. Nonetheless, the ceremonial build-up to the lighting of the Christmas Tree and the proclamation of the 4 districts by Guy Lord Dorchester, the British Governor in North America, accompanied by the Bag Pipe of Matthew Richardson, transformed the audience for a moment into the era of our pioneer ancestors.

German Pioneers Day concluded most appropriately with the singing of our National Anthem "O Canada".

All of us in the audience came away from this event a little richer, a little more knowledgeable about the part German Pioneers played in the development of what Ontario and Canada is today. Thanks to Wayne Wettlaufer for making this an official day of German heritage and to the Organizing Committee Chaired by James Breithaupt, Tony Bergmeier, and Ernst Friedel.

- Herwig Wandschneider