A celebration of citizenship

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This article was published 22/06/2023 (1018 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Saturday was a great day for a group of new Canadians as they celebrated their citizenship.

During the Summer in the City weekend, new Canadians sang O Canada proudly as they dreamed of a bright future.

“Today’s ceremony is a special one for me and my family. We left our country Nigeria and we came to Canada to belong to a new culture, a new people, and a new way of life and it has been positive, it has been good, and we don’t regret the move ever, because we came here we made new friendships, we made new families, and we blended together. It’s been peaceful, which is very paramount to one of our values. We enjoy the security, we enjoy the peace, we’re glad we made the journey,” said Adesuwa Nora Usman.

Usman came to Canada with her husband and three children in December 2018. Prior to coming to Canada Usman dealt with a three-year process and then after arrival it was another three years before she got her citizenship.

“(Being a Canadian) means a lot. It means the world, actually. It means we have access to almost everywhere in the world. It means just like the national anthem says, it’s a strong country, it’s free country. We like being Canadians,” she said.

It can take up to six years for someone to become a citizen. It costs $630 for an adult to become a citizen; $100 if the applicant has a parent who is a citizen; and $100 for those under 18 years of age. Applicants must be physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years right before the date they applied. This includes time as a permanent resident, temporary resident (lawfully authorized to remain in Canada), or a protected person.

“You hear all kinds of stories. People who come here as refugees, people come here because they fell in love with a Canadian, people who come here to reunite with other family members who were here before them, people who just want better opportunities for their kids. Everybody has a different story and they’re all inspirational,” said Citizenship Judge Suzanne Carriere, who was there for the celebration and had just sworn in her 100,000th citizen.

“I (think what it means to be Canadian) is being part of a great country. An inclusive and diverse country where we all treat each other with respect. Where we can just be the best that we can be. I can see how important it is in people’s faces when I swear them in as new Canadians. That moment right after when they take the oath you can see the joy in their faces and it’s a great reminder for some of those who were born in Canada just how great this country is and how lucky we are to live here.”

Heriberto Ayala came to Canada from Paraguay with his family in October 2016 and considers Canada his home. He became a citizen last year.

“I can feel in my heart now I am the same as all the Canadians that were born here. I wasn’t born here, I was born in Paraguay and now I can feel, OK I am Canadian and I am part of this country and I have the right that everyone has to. My first day, my first week, I could feel that I have the same rights as everyone here. Canada is my home,” he said.

Citizenship is a very “straight forward process,” according to Usman.

“I would like people to give it a try. Give it a chance and know that citizenship process is very straight forward. It’s not difficult. It’s not something we cannot achieve. If you put your mind to it. ‘This is what I want to become,’ then yes you can. It affords everybody diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging. It’s something that’s worth trying,” she said.

One of the downsides of becoming a Canadian citizen is the lack of accreditation most new Canadians face when moving here. Usman was a banker in Nigeria but here she works at Bausch, a manufacturing facility. Ayala was a pastor and journalist, but became a driver when he came to Canada. Now, he is able to work in a part-time ministry and a studio making faith-based programs in Spanish.

“We did a lot of educational assessment of our credentials and we expected that we would be able to transfer most of our skills to the same work experience that we possess. Unfortunately, that did not happen. But I am very glad that I got to learn new skills working in (Bausch). I never know I could do things like that. On the lighter side, it’s positive, so it’s good,” said Usman.

Canada just reached a milestone with 40 million people currently calling themselves Canadian. According to Statistics Canada, the increase is largely driven by permanent and temporary migration, which accounted for 96 percent of all growth in 2022. In 2021, more than 8.3 million people, or almost one quarter (23 percent) of the population, were, or had ever been, a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada. If Canada’s growth continues, projections are that the country’s population could reach 50 million by 2043.