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" The Canadian", a bilingual weekly newspaper of the Canadian Forces in Europe, had its editorial office in Lahr from 1970-1994. There was a post office on the first floor of the editorial building, where mailings to Canada could be posted at domestic rates.
On private initiative (mainly from the German-Canadian Association/Friendship Club Lahr) and with a lot of voluntary commitment, the Canada House was set up in this building as a meeting place for people with a connection to Canada after the Canadians left.
Until its closure in 2010, books from the Canadian library at the airfield could be borrowed here.
When the Canadians came to Lahr in 1967, they brought with them a lively club life from their previous locations. A formal German-Canadian club was soon formed under the chairmanship of Lord Mayor Philipp Brucker - although it was not very attractive to the general public. It disbanded again in 1970.
On May 5, 1971, the German-Canadian Association, later known as the German-Canadian Friendship Club, was finally founded. Initially, meetings were held in the form of open get-togethers before the association was registered in 1973 and thus institutionalized - partly due to liability issues in connection with the "German-Canadian Friendship Week" it organized. During this time, many so-called mixed clubs with a German-Canadian profile were formed; at the same time, numerous Canadians also joined German clubs, at least temporarily.
After the announcement of Canada's withdrawal in 1992, there was growing concern that the relationships that had grown over decades could break off. Under the leadership of Jürgen K. A. Kull, Rainer Hildebrandt and Trisha Cornforth - together with many others from the ranks of the German-Canadian clubs - the idea of a Canada House was born. The model was the American houses at US locations in Germany.
With the support of the city of Lahr and the then base commander Corbett, the project was realized in Gutleutstraße 3 - in the building that had housed the editorial office of the armed forces newspaper Der Kanadier, a post office and smaller police and security service facilities since 1970.
Two maple trees were flown in from Canada especially for the opening - one was planted in front of the building, the other found its place in Lahr's city park.
The Canada House soon developed into a focal point for Canadians who had remained in Lahr and brought together the life of the association: Lectures about Canada, dance events, official receptions, celebrations and much more took place here. A particular highlight was the library with Canadian literature. The closure of the Canada House
The building at Gutleutstraße 3 was owned by the federal government for a long time. It demanded a relatively high rent from the sponsoring association. It was only when the building was bought up and largely converted into a senior citizens' residence that the rent for the sponsoring association could be raised again with subsidies from the city. Initially, things continued on a much smaller scale, but the association lost more and more members and therefore funds. Almost 15 years after opening, the house had to be closed. To this day, the plaque on the façade is a reminder of the former Canada House.
Sometimes there were really amusing episodes. Once someone came up with the idea of inviting Canadian soldiers to spend Christmas with German families so that they could experience the holiday in a traditional way. We launched a survey - and within two weeks we had around 300 inquiries from German families who wanted to host a Canadian soldier. The enthusiasm was huge! However, there were also some unusual requests. Five or six women said: "My husband can't do it anymore - can you organize another Canadian for me?" We could hardly believe it! That's when we realized that the whole thing was threatening to go in a completely different direction. So we decided to call it off - we're not a dating agency!
Through a friend I met at the swimming pool, I heard about the job offer advertising, classifieds and billing office of the newspaper "Der Kanadier". I did this job for twelve years. The newspaper couldn't survive on its own, but was subsidized by the military. It was published weekly.
The newspaper contained classified advertisements from businesses in Lahr and the surrounding area, and in the beginning also cigarette and alcohol advertisements from Canada. There were also Canadian festivals and events, Sunday fun runs with medals and news from Canada and later from Qatar, because the Canadians were stationed there during the Iraq war.
I accompanied my boss to events, even though she spoke perfect German. I also had contact with the military in the office.
Everyone was very polite and courteous, they always gave the German cars the right of way and they kept a discreet distance in the bank. We remember them fondly and often say: "If only they were still here", also because they were so solvent.
Canada House first housed the Canadian police and the post office, then the newspaper. When the Canadians left, the following moved in: Quilt Club, German Stamp Club, Bridge Club, Speakers' Corner, German-Canadian Club, media library with literature and music in English and French with lots of records. Once a year at Thanksgiving, we had turkey at Canada House, which we received from the Americans in Heidelberg.
There were clubs in Canada, and in Lahr there was the Canada House. The building still exists today - now as a retirement home. In its heyday, it was a place for meetings, celebrations and parties. I once attended the famous haggis meal - a stuffed sheep's stomach, similar to Palatinate mule's stomach, accompanied by the appropriate digestive drinks. But even then it was clear that the house would not last. The Canadians, who had provided life and frequency, had left. The few who remained did not come regularly. The people of Lahr were not eager visitors either. As a result, the Canada House developed more and more into a museum - with illustrated books, written documents, lectures and activities such as quilting, square dancing and line dancing. Ultimately, however, there was a lack of members. Many had moved away, those who remained were getting older and there was no new blood. Perhaps we weren't creative enough, perhaps we didn't have the financial resources. In the end, the house had to close in 2010.