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.

Season's Greetings from the Lahr area

It's been a year of ups and downs. Lahr is at long last making progress in recovering from the departure of the Canadian Forces, which means new many shops, offices and factories being constructed but also a fond farewell to such well-known buildings as the Centennial Club (photos) and the Canadian Community Centre with Astra cinema (photos). The awful state of the neglected Kaserne is still the subject of negotiations between the city and the German federal government which continues to demand an impossibly high purchase price. The prospects are not optimistic: the terrorist attacks of 11 September have affected the worldwide economy and may even cause a recession in Europe on the verge of introducing the Euro currency.

It's now exactly two years since our virtual version of the Canadian Forces Europe newspaper went on line. It seems we started at just the right time because the news of our arrival on the screen soon spread around through the grapevine or surfers simply discovered our website site. We're proud to report that we've received nearly 50 000 "visits" during the past two years, which is more than we ever dreamed of!

Our readership was considerably boosted by the "Love Stories from the Cold War" published at the end of July on the front cover of MacLean's magazine. The fascinating articles written by Joel Baglole, former student at Lahr Senior School, highlighted the significance of the European experience in the lives of all ex-CFE members (adults and children) as well as the growing importance of the internet in being able to make and/or keep in contact with "kindred spirits" for sharing memories. We are glad to be able to make our own contribution towards this development.

The many messages in support of the Lahr reunion idea July 2004 (10 years since the closure of CFB Lahr) have resulted in consultions with the municipal council and the merchants' association of the city of Lahr to hold a huge "Fest". Such practical organization is necessary because it would be too big for our small group of volunteers to organize. We are also hoping to make arrangments with the Baden-Soellingen area so that people could combine the two. Watch out for details next year!

Thankyou once more for all the friendly e-mails we've received throughout the year because they make our volunteer work worthwhile! Please keep in touch!
With best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year,
also on behalf of Gabrielle, Marie Hélèn, Ivan and Klaus (see Contacts).