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NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY

THE HONOURABLE MONTE SOLBERG

MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION

at a

Citizenship Ceremony

in conjunction with the launch of
Citizenship Week 2006

Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre
Ottawa, Ontario
October 16, 2006

Check against delivery

* * * * *

It is an honour and a privilege for me to welcome you as Canada’s newest citizens. Thank you for choosing Canada.

Today is your first day as Canadian citizens. It is also the first day of Citizenship Week in Canada, a time we set aside every year to celebrate what it is to be a citizen of the best country in the world. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the beginning of Citizenship Week than to be here with you and share the happiness and excitement in this room.

Becoming a citizen in a new country is a big step. I know you will remember this day for the rest of your lives – it’s your birthday as a Canadian.

In a way, you are Canada’s youngest citizens, so it’s very appropriate that we have another group of young Canadians with us today. I’d like to thank all the participants of Historica Encounters for being our hosts for this important event.

The objective of Historica Encounters is to bring young Canadians of different backgrounds and regions together in order to give them an opportunity to learn about one another, to discover their country through one another, and to gain a better understanding of Canadian institutions.

That just about sums up what good citizenship is – by making an effort to understand one another, we soon discover that we are more alike than we are different. We learn that there is strength in diversity, and that when people with different backgrounds and different knowledge and different skills come together with a common vision, we can accomplish great things.

And Canada is a great thing. For generations, Canada has enjoyed remarkable harmony. The citizens of Canada represent dozens of different cultures, beliefs and religions, and they have lived together and worked together to build a society where harmony is the rule and not the exception, and where everyone really does have the chance to get ahead.

It is not like that in much of the rest of the world, and I think it’s important to think about why Canada has been able to thrive where others fail.

We are successful because new Canadians and those of us who were born here both have come to believe that where we come from isn't nearly as important as where we are going. It’s not about what we wear, it’s about what we believe.

And Canadians believe some very specific things.

We believe that we are equal: we all have the same right to exist, to worship and to live our lives. We believe that men and women are equal before the law and as partners in society.

In Canada we believe that we are not subject to any other person but we are all equally subject to the law. We value the rights that citizenship affords us, and we understand that citizenship also means we have certain responsibilities.

We carry out our responsibilities as citizens every time we vote. We do it when we meet our obligations to our families and neighbours, when we obey the law, and when we show our respect for the equality of others. We meet our responsibilities as citizens when we promote and protect these ideas in our families and communities.

Canadians are not just taxpayers, or consumers of social programs, or people who happen to occupy a particular spot on the map. We are much more than that. We are the free men and women of Canada. We cherish our freedom, and we stand up for the freedom of others. We are Canadian citizens.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I know that newcomers choose to come to Canada for a thousand different reasons, but in the end, they come to Canada because they see a better life here for themselves and their families. And Canada is proud to welcome newcomers with all their energy and talents and dreams.

As a nation, all that we ask of you is what we expect of every Canadian: a conscious commitment to a society based on equality, order and freedom.

In other words, the ideals that created this great nation in the first place – a nation that after 139 years still inspires pride in its citizens, and sets a shining example for so much of the world.