Burris secures permanent resident status in Canada
Consider it another win for Grey Cup champion Henry Burris.
Burris, who announced his retirement from the CFL after leading the Ottawa Redblacks to a Grey Cup championship in November, has been granted permanent residency in Canada.
One step still to go: Gaining Canadian citizenship. And that may still take a few years.
Burris, now a co-host on CTV Morning Live, broke the news Thursday night at the Ottawa Tourism Awards.
While Burris wasn’t available for comment Friday, Redblacks coach Rick Campbell, who got his Canadian citizenship along with his wife, Geri, in 2012, is excited for Henry and his wife Nicole. “It’s always a proud moment,” said Campbell. “My wife and I went through the same process. I became a Canadian citizen on Canada Day, which was pretty cool. When I went through the ceremony with the group of people I did, you see what an impact it has on people’s lives, because they’re from all over the world. It’s life changing.”
Henry and Nicole will likely have to wait awhile yet before they become citizens. Permanent resident status is required in order to obtain Canadian citizenship. Candidates are selected based on a points system that weighs factors such as education, language, employment experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability.
Said Burris in a 2015 interview: “Honestly, whenever we go back to the States, we feel like we’re visiting. It’s home, but it’s not home. Canada is our home. Wherever you go in the world, people love Canadians. We have a sense of security and comfort being here. Why leave that? To me, Canada is just one big community. People look out for each other. The people are so giving and so nice. That’s the type of society and atmosphere we want our kids to grow up in and be around.”
Burris, originally from Oklahoma, was a CFL quarterback for 18 seasons for four teams, starting in 1997 (playing for the NFL’s Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers in between). Nicole has lived in Canada full-time since 2005. Their sons, Armand and Barron, were born in Calgary and have dual citizenship. Twitter.com/TimCBaines