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Yellowknife welcomes new citizens 83 people from 31 countries sworn in a ceremony last week
Graeme McNaughton
Northern News Services
Published Friday, June 14, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Great Hall of the legislative assembly building in Yellowknife was host to a citizenship ceremony last Friday, officially turning 80 Northern residents from 31 different countries into Canadians.
Bonni Ebele came to Yellowknife from Inuvik to take part in the citizenship ceremony. Originally from Nigeria, Ebele has lived in Canada since 2001. - Graeme McNaughton/NNSL photo |
Two of those new Canadians were Raymond Borero and Shane Mojica-Borero, both originally from the Philippines.
Mojica-Borero was the first to come to Canada, first living in Toronto in 2002. She originally went to high school with Raymond.
"I originally came to Toronto, but I decided six years ago to come to Yellowknife to be with him," Mojica-Borero said of Raymond, who himself immigrated in 2003.
One new citizen, Bonni Ebele, came from Inuvik to take part in the ceremony. He came to Canada from Nigeria in 2001.
The ceremony was officiated by George Springate, a citizenship judge and former kicker with the Montreal Alouettes.
"The one thing Canada asks of all of you is to do your best every single day," said Springate to the newly-sworn in citizens.
"I've been doing this for 14 years, and the diversity at these ceremonies is incredible," said Lea Martin, a citizenship and immigration officer who was at the ceremony. Martin added she's been to citizenship ceremonies in Edmonton where there are a similar amount of people, but from fewer countries.
Mayor Mark Heyck was on hand for the ceremony, telling some of Canada's newest citizens about his parents' experiences as immigrants.
Heyck's father immigrated to Canada from Germany in 1951 and his mother came from Turkey in the early 1960s after communicating with Heyck's father through a pen pal program.
"They made (Yellowknife) their home," said Heyck of his parents.
"I hope you will as well."
"Multiculturalism is one of the great strengths of our country," said George Tuccaro, the commissioner of the Northwest Territories, who was also at the ceremony.
Tuccaro said he encouraged the new citizens to "travel to the far corners of the territory, meet new people and experience new cultures."
Choir singers from Mildred Hall School led the new citizens in English and French renditions of O Canada to close off the ceremony.
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