Canadian Citizenship Ceremony - more than a piece of paper

Photo by: Taruna Goel

In this blog post, I pause the usual learning and development-related content to reflect on the importance of something that marked a big life change for me and reinforced my sense of identity - my Canadian Citizenship Ceremony.

The federal government of Canada has recommended a proposed change to the Oath of Citizenship that will allow individuals to self-administer the citizenship oath via online means instead of being physically required to do so before a citizenship judge. This proposed change undervalues the meaning of citizenship. To understand why I think so, let me take you back to my experience of the Canadian Citizenship Ceremony and what it continues to mean to me. 

I immigrated to Canada with my family. It took 7 years from the day we officially submitted an application to actually hold the citizenship certificate. It was a long and challenging journey and there were many ups and downs along the way. So, when the day came to be dressed in red, hold the Canadian flag, listen to the immigration story of our presiding Citizenship Judge, take the oath, and recite O Canada, it meant the world to us! Standing in that room with 100 or so other people, who all came from diverse backgrounds, we felt one as Canadian citizens. The sense of camaraderie and community during the ceremony was powerful. The in-person ceremony was a culmination of a long and challenging process and a reflection of our shared values with other fellow Canadians. We felt a deep sense of integration one can only get by being with other people. On that day, as much as we belonged to Canada, Canada belonged to us.

But it wasn't just a proud moment for us; that feeling of civic participation and deep engagement was also felt by others in the room who had come to witness and celebrate the occasion for their friends and family. In the absence of any immediate family, we invited our chosen family - my colleagues from work - who were deeply involved in and supported us in our 7 year-citizenship journey. Having been born in Canada, they never got a chance to take a citizenship test, take an oath, and 'become' citizens. Watching us go through the ceremony made them emotional and I am guessing they valued their by-birth citizenship a little more that day. Having people who cheered for us and were present in person to witness this transformative event of our lives made it even more meaningful and cherished. Later that year, we were fortunate to attend the citizenship ceremony of a close family member and relive those emotional moments as we welcomed them as fellow citizens.

It was a big milestone in our lives to become citizens of the country we chose and the in-person oath ceremony brought a sense of relief and a feeling of accomplishment. To mark this defining moment, we celebrate our citizenship anniversary every year with friends and family. This year, we are celebrating our 8th #Canaversary and the 12th year of being in Canada! 

All of this to say, while virtual citizenship ceremonies may be required due to certain circumstances, in-person ceremonies hold a unique and lasting significance that virtual events can never replicate. The solemnity of the event and the shared experience with other new citizens make in-person ceremonies an invaluable tradition. Citizenship ceremonies often become stories that people recount to their children, grandchildren, and friends as a part of a vivid recollection of a key chapter that holds deep meaning and importance. Those 90 minutes of an in-person ceremony make for a lifetime of memories. 

I understand that there is a need to focus on administration and processing efficiencies and explore flexible options but it cannot and should not be done at the expense of the meaning of citizenship. 

A citizenship ceremony is more than just a piece of paper; it becomes a core memory of a person's life and an integral part of their personal narrative. 

-----

I have signed the following petition to the House of Commons to abandon plans to permit self-administration of the citizenship oath and revert to in-person ceremonies as the default. I encourage others in my network, especially immigrants, Permanent Residents, and fellow Canadians to consider signing it.

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4511

Reference:

As per Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 157, Number 8: Regulations Amending the Citizenship Regulations (Oath of Citizenship) : “Each year, thousands of individuals apply for Canadian citizenship. Increased demand, in-person and paper-based processing, and other factors, such as constraints during COVID-19, have contributed to rising inventories of citizenship applications, resulting in processing times well beyond the published service standard of 12 months. On January 31, 2022, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (the Minister) announced that the Department would begin pursuing the necessary changes to allow for self-administration of the Oath of Citizenship. Under the regulatory scenario, clients who opt to take the Oath digitally via a secure online solution without the presence of an authorized individual would save up to three months of processing time, becoming new citizens faster than those who opt to take the Oath at a citizenship ceremony. While ceremonies take approximately 90 minutes, swearing or affirming in this manner via the secure online solution is expected to take significantly less time.”