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2006-05

Celebrating Citizenship on Canada Day

Ottawa, June 30, 2006 — The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced that over 1,000 people will become Canadian citizens on July 1 by taking the oath of citizenship at over 25 citizenship ceremonies in communities across the country. These special Canada Day ceremonies are part of Celebrate Canada!, 11 days of festivities that run each year from June 21 to July 1 in celebration of Canadian citizenship, values and heritage.

On July 1, the Minister will attend a special citizenship ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, in Gatineau, Quebec. Citizenship Judge Suzanne Pinel will preside over the ceremony and swear in 50 new Canadians. The ceremony is open to the public.

“New citizens and their loved ones will benefit from the goodwill and trust that Canada has built over the years,” said Minister Solberg. “And we will benefit from what they bring to Canada — their ideas, their skills and their stories.”

Elsewhere, in Victoria, the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, the Honourable Iona Campagnolo, will swear in 80 new Canadians at a ceremony at Government House. On June 29, Citizenship Judge Normand Allaire swore in 60 new Canadians at CityTV’s studios in Toronto. The ceremony will be telecast nationally on Canada Day.

“Becoming a citizen is an honour and a responsibility,” said Minister Solberg. “On Canada Day, I know we all celebrate our shared values of respect, freedom, justice, democracy and equality.”

To find out about a citizenship ceremony near you on Canada Day or throughout the year, visit the CIC Web site at www.cic.gc.ca.

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For more information (media only):

Lesley Harmer
Director of Communications
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
(613) 954-1064

Marina Wilson
Spokesperson, Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
(613) 941-7021

Backgrounder
Citizenship Fast Facts

History

• The year 2006 marks the 59th anniversary of Canadian citizenship.
• In 1947, Canada became the first Commonwealth country to gain its own citizenship act.
• Before that, Canadians were considered British subjects living in Canada, not Canadian citizens.
• The prime minister at the time, William Lyon Mackenzie King, became the first Canadian citizen.

Citizenship

• Since the first citizenship act was enacted, almost 5.7 million people have been granted Canadian citizenship.
• In 2005, citizenship grants were up by 2% from 2004: 196,068 individuals took the oath of citizenship in 2005, compared to 193,025 in the previous year.
• According to the 2001 census, about 84% of eligible immigrants are Canadian citizens.
• In 2005, 2,575 citizenship ceremonies were held across Canada.
• See the table below for the number of people who took the oath of citizenship in 2005, 2004 and 2003.

• Top 10 countries of birth for new Canadians in 2005:

Immigration

• 262,236 immigrants came to Canada in 2005.
• In 2005, the top five provinces of destination were Ontario (140,533), British Columbia (44,767), Quebec (43,308), Alberta (19,399), Manitoba (8,097).

According to the 2001 census, almost one out of every five Canadian residents (18.4%) was born outside the country.