Monday, January 23, 2012

O Canada!

The Frostbite & Sunburn household 
became Canadian Citizens today.


This is a special and long awaited date for us - one more piece of the puzzle that ties us to our new home, and slots into place with a feeling of calmness and settledness (if such a word exists).  We applied one year ago - and have lived as Permanent Residents in Canada for just over four and a half years now.
We all arrived bright and early, and after having all our paperwork checked out (passports with the dates that we said we were in, and out, of the country, birth certificates, Permanent Resident cards, etc), my hubby and I took a written test.  It is a 20-question multiple choice test - and you need to get at least 15 to pass.
Applicants between the ages of 18 and 55 sit the test - so our girls sat outside the room with a book, waiting for mum and dad to do their thing!  In all honesty, we should have sent the kids on our behalf, as they knew all the history and geography better than us.
I think I now have a pretty good grounding in Canadian history and politics, who is on which dollar bill, and what a beaver represents!


Because we passed the test in the morning, we were invited back at 1pm to take part in the Citizenship swearing-in ceremony.  One hundred new citizens took their oath in Calgary today (in French and English) and came from an amazing 37 different countries of origin.


I felt it was a very special day and even caught myself welling up a bit.  Old softie.
The Ceremony finished off with a final sing-song of the national anthem "O Canada" - in English (thank goodness, for us!).  I really like the Canadian national anthem and my throat nearly always closes up when I hear it, or try to sing it - I think this is down to the pure gusto with which it is sung.  It's a very proud song.


So then we all filed out to start the next part of our life in Canada.


And they can't kick us out now, eh?

14 comments:

  1. Hooray! I did the swearing in WAAAY back in 1990, and I just squeaked in without having to take the test because I was only 17. That morning we'd done fetal pig dissection in biology class and I spent the whole ceremony trying not to throw up!
    I think having to BECOME Canadian makes you appreciate it that little bit more. Congrats, my fellow Canadian!

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    1. Thank you! Definitely appreciate the opportunity. There were many in that room with us today, and you just know their route to this day was incredibly hard and long!

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  2. Congratulations, new fellow Canuckians! How super to have you join us!

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    1. Why, thank you Debra - lovely to be here! Very happy day.

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  3. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome (that's for all four of you).
    As a third-generation Canadian (two of my grandparents were born in Canada, two in Great Britain) I am very proud and happy to welcome you to our wonderful, beautiful country. I just love the fact that O Canada gives you a lump in your throat.
    —Kay

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    1. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you very much Kay!

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  4. Congratulations Ann and Family!
    I know how proud you must be feeling, we became citizens this year as well. I choked up when singing O Canada at our ceremony too!
    I'm glad to see that you are all settled here as i know from reading your blog and o Expats that you haven't always been sure.

    Here's to a long and happy life as proud Canadians!

    T. We don't know one another but have a lot in common I think.

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  5. Welcome aboard. It is wonderful people like yourselves that make up our Canada!

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  6. Congratulations (a week late... sorry)
    I have looked at that Discover Canada book and there would probably be some questions i couldn't answer correctly or without a lot of thought (and I'm a lifelong citizen) so well done!

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  7. I hope you retained a bit of Britishness and sniggered at the beaver bit!!

    Congratulations!

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