Trisha Cornforth, German news reporter for "Der Kanadier" newspaper as well as for CFN/RFC radio and television, from the end of 1978 to the end of May 1994 The original "Der Kanadier " was the weekly newspaper for the Canadian Forces in Europe. It was published in Lahr in the Black Forest, Germany, from 1 July 1970 until 25 May 1994, i.e. until just before Canadian Forces Base Lahr closed down in mid-August 1994.

Signs of returning confidence in Lahr
Lahr has just been celebrating for a week with wonderful sunny weather everyday except one. The Summer Festival began in a pleasant quiet way on Friday with the "Rose Evening" in the Stadtpark with live ballet and classical music on the grass, among the trees and flowers, with the wonderful scent of the rose garden. On Saturday evening Lahr's big street festival on a European theme attracted tens of thousands of people so you could hardly move downtown! There were live bands to suit various musical tastes and representing various countries. The rest of the week was filled with various other activities, for example, the Stork Tower jazz concert was a great success as was the children's fun day on the newly re-designed Schlossplatz The final highlight was the Lantern Festival in the Stadtpark on the second Saturday night. It was based on a South American theme because of the sculptures from Costa Rica which are being displayed there for the whole summer. A record number of 9 000 visitors enjoyed the lively rhythms among the coloured lamps decorating the lawns, and it all ended with a spectacular firework show (see photos elsewhere).

It was the first Summer Festival Week that Lahr had organized since 1993 - in other words, since the departure of the Canadian Forces. Of course, it cost the city a great deal of money but the fact that the municipal administration was interested in and capable of organizing such a big event demonstrates a renewed self-assurance after a long lull.

This confidence is based on local business improvements. The signs are clearly visible, not so much on the airfield, but in Lahr's industrial zone located to the west of the city on the Rhine plain. Within the last few weeks three important Lahr firms have inaugurated new production facilities. The UC Chemical Company has built a high-tech tower for a special medical process. Neumeister has extended its manufacturing of precision machines for the printing industry worldwide (it exports over 70%). Nestler Wellpappe, which makes corrugated cardboard for packing and transport, is constructing a huge modern workshop, warehouse and office complex. When it's finished Nestler will move entirely to the industrial area, which will free up its old premises beside the Stadtpark parking lot, thus providing an opportunity for creating a more attractive residential division in that area.

Summer break
The school holidays have already begun in other parts of Germany and in Canada (and we've had various Canadian visitors, which is great). In the province of Baden-Württemberg the school holidays will begin at the end of July. Therefore most of us will be away during August and there won't be too many updates in "Der Kanadier". We'll start again in September, when the Belleville-Lahr Friendship Flight is due to arrive with about 80 visitors from Ontario to stay in their twin-town of Lahr for a few days.