Thirty new Canadians – coming from a dozen different countries – took their oath of citizenship Saturday morning (July 1) in Vancouver.
It was one of several ceremonies taking place across the country on Canada Day.
John Gilbert presided over the event, welcoming everyone to their new home. He told the group that he first visited Canada as a 14-year-old and knew then that he wanted to move to Canada.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim noted that Canadians have been unlearning the untruths of the nation with Indigenous peoples and displacement in recent years, but this group would be “starting fresh and learning the true history.” He also pointed out that Saturday marked 100 years since a dark part of Canadian history when Canada enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act that would last 24 years.
READ MORE: Chinese Canadian Museum opens in B.C., 100 years after Exclusion Act took effect
In a statement, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Canada would be welcoming more than 1,000 new citizens on Canada Day 2023.
““The number of citizens celebrating Canada Day continues to rise every year. Canada is proud to have exceeded its citizenship goals in 2022, with nearly 364,000 new Canadian citizens.”
@laurenpcollins1
lauren.collins@blackpress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.