THUNDER BAY — 60 new Canadians took their oath in the first citizenship ceremony held in the city in five years.
“I'm so glad to have it in person,” said Cathy Woodbeck, executive director of the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Canadian Citizenship Ceremony has been held online.
Woodbeck said that the online ceremony did not offer the same sense of community as the in-person ceremony.
“You're not looking at a group. You're looking at the screen and then waiting for your turn. Here everyone is all together. They recite the oath together. They each received their actual certificate from the judge and were greeted by the MPs and other dignitaries. Here you're congratulated by a large group and your family gets to come and watch that,” she said.
Laura Carolina Roa Gomez came to Canada from Colombia with her husband seven years ago. She’s been working for Resolute for the last six years. Her current role is superintendent of business services.
She told Newswatch that the main thing she appreciates about living in Canada is feeling safe and secure.
“I always felt the values of Canada being my own, so it's more official now. For us, we enjoy the nature. We enjoy where we live, the community, our colleagues, our friends. So, it may be more responsibility in that sense that I know now that it's something that felt foreign to me, now is becoming part of me. I feel just so proud and happy,” said Gomez
She said she chose Thunder Bay because of its natural beauty.
“I love the sense of community that you don't have in bigger cities. To us, it's really important to be so close to the wildlife because we love canoeing, we love camping, and those are things that you can do easily here within 20 minutes,” said Gomez.
Charmish Patel said he “didn't have to work hard to settle in Thunder Bay.”
Patel came from India nine years ago to study engineering. He intended to return to India after his studies; however, once he got to Thunder Bay, he said it felt like home.
“I really never thought of moving anywhere apart from Thunder Bay. I even went to Toronto and it didn't feel like home. I'm like, no, Thunder Bay is home,” said Patel.
“When I came to Thunder Bay, the first few months were definitely difficult, knowing that I don't know anyone here. It was a difficult journey in the beginning, but knowing the things I can do here, outdoor activities, the natural beauty of Thunder Bay. I mean, it's really obvious.
He is currently working on finishing his degree, but he also works as a technologist and does volunteer work with various community organizations.
For Sinsan Poulose, Thunder Bay is a beautiful place to explore.
“Thunder Bay is quiet compared with other cities like Toronto or major cities. It's a good place to live. We can go anywhere in Thunder Bay within 15 to 20 minutes by drive,” said Poulose.
Poulose immigrated to Canada in 2019 right before the pandemic. As a student, he found it hard to adjust to his new surroundings as Canada went into lockdown and his courses moved online.
However, he said his life started to change after finding work as a developmental services worker, a personal support worker, and now as a registered social worker.
“There was a dream. People who need to live in a happy, certain life. They'll come over here because Canada is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful country,” said Poulose.
