Focusing on the large cohort of immigrants from the Netherlands and the former Dutch East Indies who arrived in Canada between 1947 and 1960, Schryer shows how the Dutch, despite a loss of ethnic identity and a high level of linguistic assimilation, replicated many aspects of their homeland. While illustrating and illuminating the diversity among immigrants sharing a common national origin, Schryer keeps sight of what is common among them.

In doing so, he shows how deeply ingrained habits were modified in a Canadian context, resulting in both continuities and discontinuities. The result is a variegated image reflecting a multidimensional reality.

This is the most detailed work ever produced on the Dutch in one specific geographic location. A mixture of sociology, history and political science, it provides a comprehensive and exhaustive study of the Dutch presence in Ontario. As a study in multiculturalism, it adds greatly to an understanding of ethnic group dynamics, not only in Ontario but across the country as well.