Celebration of Canada's Citizenship Week

The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced that when Canada's Citizenship Week wrapped up on Sunday, 4,635 newcomers had become Canadian citizens. Across the country, 53 special citizenship ceremonies had been held in communities, and 160 municipal proclamations of Canada's Citizenship Week had also been featured. "Canada's Citizenship Week reminds all Canadians to take the time to appreciate our shared rights and responsibilities," said Minister Solberg. "It also reminds us that newcomers choose to come to Canada for a thousand different reasons, but all come because they see in Canada a better life for themselves and for their families." Minister Solberg launched Canada's Citizenship Week on October 16 by attending a citizenship ceremony at the Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre, headquarters of Historica Encounters. He was joined in welcoming 35 new Canadians by students from across the country, as well as Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Immigration, and fellow members of Parliament Jim Abbott and Art Hanger. "It was a great privilege for all of us to share the happiness and excitement of the new Canadians," said the Minister. "We proudly welcome newcomers with all their energy, talents and dreams." As part of Canada's Citizenship Week activities, Minister Solberg also spoke at a special ceremony held by the Dominion Institute to celebrate the success of the institute's Passages to Canada project. The Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau is a national storytelling initiative that highlights the contributions immigrants and refugees make to Canada. Minister Solberg also released a special edition of the CIC Insider newsletter celebrating citizenship. To read the CIC Insider or to get more information on Canada's Citizenship Week and ongoing citizenship ceremonies throughout the year, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Web site at www.cic.gc.ca.