The New Holland Settlers and the Last Best West Written by Robert Westra In 1910, twenty Dutch immigrants called the Dutch Twenty arrived in Medicine Hat, Alberta and were the first of their countrymen to apply for the “free” homesteads which were advertised as the “last best west” by the Government of Canada. This book describes how the people tried to farm this arid region. They came together to build a church, later salvaging what they could when they decided to leave for good after their short settlement. The people lived and grew spiritually by giving thanks to God when they could have cursed the government, the land, and their situation. They instead chose to lead lives filled with thanksgiving, integrity, courage, and faith in a sovereign God who they believed had brought them to Canada despite their initial belief that this land would be the “last best west.” Paperback, 264 pages, lists of settlers, a Dutch Heritage title
