MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, March 27, 2019 • PAGE A1
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Tuesday, 47 new Canadians took the oath of citizenship at Mosaic Place. Matthew Gourlie photograph
New Canadians celebrate journeys at citizenship ceremony Matthew Gourlie
47 individuals from nine countries now living across southern Saskatchewan were sworn in as Canadian citizens at a Citizenship Ceremony co-hosted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship on March 19th. Everyone’s story is unique in their journey to Canada, but their overall message is the same – their gratefulness for the great country of Canada and the ability to now become a Canadian citizen. Adapting to a new country and often a new language and climate is difficult. That was true for 19-year-old Alexia Gardoque, but she was just happy to be able to see her mother every day. That hadn’t been the case as her mother left the Philippines not long after she was born. “The first seven years of my life she was overseas. First, she was in Hong Kong for two years and then she was finally able to move here to Canada and she lived in Carrot River,” said Gardoque who took the oath of citizenship with her brother, father and mother. “It was hard, especially for me growing up. When I was in the Philippines, I was waiting for her every year to come and attend my year-end school events. It was really nice to finally be reunited.”
RCMP Cst. Pasquale Marsico bends over to shake the hand of a boy that was sworn in as a new Canadian citizen last Tuesday in Moose Jaw. Matthew Gourlie photograph Alfred Vasallo has lived in Swift Current for 11 years and became a citizen Tuesday. He said he moved to Canada because there was more opportunity for him and his family. “I had a decent job there, but it was not enough to provide for them,” said Vasallo who said his family encouraged him to emigrate. Vasallo said the spirit of volunteerism in Canada and everyone taking care of each other really struck him. He was beaming during the ceremony but said the journey hasn’t always been easy. “It was a big change. It’s a culture shock,
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actually,” Vasallo said. “When I first came, I was excited. When I arrived in Regina at the airport, it was actually November. It’s really cold that month. We went to Swift and my employer was the one driving and we encountered a blizzard already. So, yeah that was a bit of a shock.” Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie told his own immigration story of his grandparents leaving Glasgow during the Second World War and seeking a better life. “I want to welcome you to our country, to our province and to our city because today the city is better because of who you are and because of what you have done today,” Tolmie said. The ceremony opened with Aaron Tootoosis from the Guns of Poundmaker drum group singing a song written by Chief Piapot on the occasion of the signing of Treaty 4 in 1874. Ha’Keen Maneso, a Grade 11 student from Vanier whose mother is a fourth-generation Saskatchewan resident and whose father is an Ethiopian immigrant, sang O Canada in both official languages. “The future of Canada — our freedom, our democracy, our peaceful society, equality under the law, prosperity — the future of all of these things now depends on you,” said citizenship officer Akuokor Ninepence addressing the new Canadians.