Local residents who still needed a boost of patriotic spirit following the Canada 150 celebrations on and around July 1 could have used a visit to the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum last Wednesday.
Yes, it was an invitation-only event, but there is likely no better reminder of our country’s greatness than a citizenship ceremony.
Twenty-three people from across the southeast region received their Canadian citizenship at the event, which was the first citizenship ceremony in the Energy City in about 15 years. Each of these new Canadians proudly took the oath of citizenship, signed the necessary documents and then smiled proudly with their certificates.
They were reminded of their duties as Canadian citizens by presiding officer Dr. Michael Jackson, and they were instructed not to take their new citizenship for granted.
Receiving citizenship is not an easy process. It requires spending at least five years in this country. And there are a lot of forms to be completed.
These people left their home nations to come to Canada. Many of them have family members who are tens of thousands of kilometres away. And since they came here to pursue professional and personal opportunities in another country, they have insights into being Canadian that most of us will never have.
While Estevan has always had newcomers living in the community, the large influx of people from other countries only started to arrive in the last 10 to 12 years.
It started with people from Germany and Ukraine, but quickly grew to the Philippines, South Korea, India, Pakistan and other countries.
Of all the changes brought about by the economic boom that lifted this area for nearly a decade, the increase in the number of newcomers is unarguably one of the highlights.
They have enriched our city with their cultures, religions, music and food. They have brought a level of diversity to this city that hasn’t been here in many decades. They have brought a tremendous work ethic, a love for their jobs, and a recognition that they are living in the greatest country in the world.
Many of them have chosen to make Estevan their home. Even though Estevan is no longer the economic powerhouse they came to five or 10 years ago, they want to stay. And now they have bought homes, started businesses, taken an active role in their community and enrolled their kids in our schools.
When they came here, they had such taglines as temporary foreign workers, but now they have stayed and are proud to be here.
It’s been a win-win situation: a win for our community because these people are living here, and a win for the newcomers because they are in Canada.
And so you couldn’t help but be proud at the citizenship ceremony last week. Proud of the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum for hosting such an event. Proud of Dr. Jackson for the speech he delivered. Proud of the people who came to this country and fell in love with it so much that they wanted to become Canadian citizens.
But most of all, you had to be proud that you are Canadian, because we live in a country where these people wanted to be in the first place.
