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Clearly the influx of immigrants on this scale into a relatively small and stable population had a profound impact. Many of those who first settled in Prince Edward County under the Settlement Scheme moved on, purchasing farms elsewhere or finding employment in larger urban centres. A significant number remained, putting down roots in the community. Their willingness to work hard, as a family unit, to succeed in their new country echoed the experience of earlier settlers and won them respect. Many families now count four generations in Canada. Since many of the first arrivals sponsored relatives and subsequent generations married, the web of kinship in the Dutch community is as dense as in "Old County" families.

14

The experiences of the Dutch immigrants who came to Canada between 1947 and 1960 contain other parallels to earlier settlers:
* the difficult decision to leave home due to adverse circumstances
* a belief that they would never see family and friends again
* a lack of knowledge about their destination
* determination or faith that they would forge a better future
* the discomforts of the journey
* early challenges and homesickness
* establishing themselves in a new land.
Their first hand accounts of the immigrant experience are moving. They also help bring to life the experiences of those earlier settlers whose voices were not recorded.