Meet the North's newest Canadians
Forty-two people from across globe take citizenship ceremony at legislative assembly
Zacharia Michael, left, Mizer Michael, Abbeba Kesete, Rufta Michael and Tesfa Michael celebrated Mizer and Rufta becoming Canadian citizens at the legislative assembly Monday. For Tesfa, who came to Canada as a refugee by himself in 2009, it has been a long journey to Yellowknife and to seeing his family become citizens. |
Emelie Peacock
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Watching his daughters receive their citizenship on Monday was another step for Tesfa Michael in a long journey from his home in Eritrea to a new life in Canada.
It is a journey that involved spending 14 months in an Egyptian jail cell, two years alone in Canada without his family and a cross-country move from Newfoundland to Manitoba, and eventually, to Yellowknife.
Tesfa said he felt happiness watching his daughters Mizer and Rufta, dressed in festive Eritrean clothing, join 40 other NWT residents in receiving Canadian citizenship at the legislative assembly. NWT MP Michael McLeod said many will likely stay in the territory long-term.
"These people could have went to any part of Canada and they chose the Northwest Territories as their home, which is really nice," he said.
"And the Northwest Territories has the highest retention of new citizens in Canada. Once people come here and recognize what a beautiful place, what a nice place it is and how friendly people are, they choose to stay."
Leona Martin, citizenship and immigration officer, said an average of 100 NWT residents become citizens each year and 250 become permanent residents.
And many of them do choose to stay, she added.
"People integrate well here," she said. "It's not just the jobs like a lot of people think. It's really because we have very good integration programs and people feel a sense of belonging."
For many, the day meant a lot more than a simple swearing of the oath of citizenship and shaking hands with dignitaries including McLeod, NWT Commissioner Margaret Thom and Education, Culture and Employment Minister Alfred Moses. As the NWT's sole citizenship and immigration officer, Martin said she has seen many of the new citizens through their journey from landing to becoming citizens.
"For some of them I've seen them go through very difficult situations to get to today," she said, adding some spend five or six years alone before reuniting with their families.
"We have a lot of people that came here as live-in caregivers, so they came without their families and worked. And then eventually became a permanent resident and then brought their families. Some of them, I know them, but it's the first time I've actually met their families. It's humbling."
The 42 new citizens come from 18 different countries and reside in the communities of Aklavik, Hay River, Fort Providence and Yellowknife.
