45 new Canadians from 20 different countries were sworn in Oct. 5 at the annual citizenship ceremony, held this year at Riverside Elementary School.
"For those of you who are about to become citizens, today is a very important milestone in your life," Citizenship Judge Harold Gilleshammer said before administering the oath of citizenship.
"On this occasion, you will be given the most valuable gift of Canadian citizenship," he continued. "For those of us who are Canadian citizens, it is also a special day. Because of you, we are celebrating the expansion of the Canadian family."
All of the new citizens had already been permanent residents of Canada, a status that affords many of the same rights and responsibilities as full citizenship, but notably does not include the ability to run for public office or vote in Canadian elections, to hold a Canadian passport, or to join the Armed Forces.
For a permanent resident to become a citizen - if at least 18 years old, as the process is simpler for children - they must have lived in Canada for at least three of the past four years, passed a citizenship test, and be able to speak at least a practical level of either English or French among other qualifications.
"I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share this pleasure with you," said Gilleshammer. "You've worked hard to earn your Canadian citizenship, learning about Canadian history and pride. For some of you, it's meant learning a language. Many of you have come from countries very different from this one." Among the countries represented as former homes of the new Canadians were Costa Rica, Qatar, and South Africa.
Also on hand and acknowledged were representatives of MP Niki Ashton, the RCMP, and the School District of Mystery Lake. Riverside students also played a large role in the ceremony - beyond sitting in the audience, classes also welcomed the new citizens to Canada and sang their school song, to the tune of "This Land is Your Land."
"I'm delighted that I was born a Canadian citizen," said Gilleshammer, himself a son of immigrants. "I'm sure there are families here who left their home communities and arrived with aspirations for a better life."
"You have joined a long tradition of newcomers who have enriched this country through their contributions," he told the audience. "The tradition of accepting newcomers is as old as Canada itself."
Gilleshammer also gave those in attendance a quick lesson in Canadian history, noting that prior to the Canadian Citizenship Act coming into force on Jan. 1, 1947, there was no such thing as a Canadian citizen - anybody living in or immigrating into Canada was considered a British subject. Gilleshammer also pointed out the relatively recent adoption of two major Canadian symbols - the Canadian flag, which was introduced in 1965, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which Gilleshammer referred to as "the basis of all citizenship," and which was introduced in 1982.
Gilleshammer is a well-known Tory figure in provincial politics, as he spent 15 years in the Manitoba legislature from 1988 through 2003. Through that entire period, he represented the riding of Minnedosa. He spent much of his political career as part of then-premier Gary Filmon's Conservative cabinet, beginning in 1990 as minister of family services. In 1993, he became minister of culture, heritage, and citizenship, and served in that role until a January 1997 cabinet shuffle saw him become minister of labour. He was named finance minister in February 1999, and though he retained his seat in the September 1999 election, the Progressive Conservatives were replaced in government by Gary Doer and the NDP. Gilleshammer retired from politics in 2003, and was appointed as a citizenship judge by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tory federal government in December 2007.
