The Battlefords area has officially welcomed 30 brand-new Canadians as of Friday.
They were sworn in at a ceremony at the Western Development Museum on Friday morning. The ceremony was hosted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Battleford Immigration Resource Centre.
The event took place on the same day and in the same building as the Taste of Culture event, which ran Thursday to Saturday at the WDM.
The swearing in was attended by several officials including Annette McGovern of the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre, North Battleford mayor Ian Hamilton, Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison and Battlefords MLA Herb Cox.
Harrison welcomed the new Canadians and noted the face of the province is changing.
“In the last eight years we’ve had nearly 130,000 newcomers from outside of Canada move to this province alone.”
This year, they were welcoming 5,500 newcomers through the immigrant nominee program, said Harrison.
Cox recognized some of the sacrifices these new citizens have made in coming to Canada.
“I certainly applaud the courage that you’ve shown, whether you’ve come to Canada as an individual or as a family, that was certainly not a decision that was made lightly.”
Presiding official Peter Zakreski administered the oath of citizenship. Taking the oath is the final act towards becoming a citizen for these new Canadians, who have already gone through a rigorous process including passing a citizenship test.
The new citizens received a citizenship certificate, and were able to register to receive a cultural access pass that provides free admission to more than 1,200 Canadian museums, art galleries, historic sites, parks and more for one year.
“You’re following in the footsteps of many generations of great Canadians before you,” said Zakreski, who reminded the audience that the country’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, arrived to Canada as an immigrant from Scotland with his family when he was five years old.
He noted that both his grandparents arrived as immigrants from the Austrian Empire, from the portion of it that is now Ukraine.
“Being a Canadian means much more than simply having a piece of paper,” said Zakreski.
“It means sharing a common set of Canadian values, having rights and responsibilities, such as being a full member of the Canadian family, the responsibility of obeying Canadian laws. As a Canadian citizen, you live in a democratic country where individual rights and freedoms are respected. Thousands of brave Canadians have fought and died for these rights and freedoms.”
He reminded them that as a Canadian they had the right to vote and could run in federal, provincial and municipal elections.
“It is now your responsibility to find out about the candidates, issues in each election, make your choice and cast your vote.”
Zakreski urged them to get involved in their communities. He said the future of Canada’s freedom, democratic government and peaceful society depended on them.
“As the great Canadian soldier and poet John McCrae wrote, ‘To you we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.’”
Zakreski then asked those taking the oath to raise their right hand and he administered the oath in English and then French.
“I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, queen of Canada, her heirs and successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.”
