Special guests on hand as 60 become Canadian citizens
Justin Trudeau drops by citizenship ceremony to welcome new Canadians
Dozens of new Canadians got a special welcome Wednesday afternoon when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to greet them and shake hands with each new citizen.
The prime minister is in Kelowna this week for the national Liberal caucus meeting, and on Wednesday he stopped by Stuart Park during a citizenship ceremony in which 60 people from around the world became Canadian citizens.
“Thank you for choosing Canada, for choosing to build your future amongst us, alongside us, as part of us,” Trudeau said to the crowd of new citizens. “I know you will follow in the footsteps of the millions of families who once stood where you are today, and shape this country every day, all of us together, into an even better place to call home.”
Trudeau spoke about tolerance and the importance of being active and engaged citizens.
“As Canadians, we are defined not by our origins, but by the values we share and our commitment to uphold them,” he said. “We share values of openness, fairness, equality, justice, which inspire us every day in every action big and small.”
Michael Letterlough, who emigrated from the Cayman Islands to Kamloops 11 years ago, said it was an unexpected, pleasant surprise to meet the prime minister during his citizenship ceremony.
“We were pretty fortunate to be able to have the prime minister here for our swearing-in as Canadian citizens,” he said. “I think that’s a really big treat. It was awesome to shake his hand.”
Letterlough, a former professional track and field athlete, said living in Canada has given him and his family stability.
“Canada has been really good to me as far as work goes and being able to travel and do outdoors stuff,” he said. “It’s definitely a place of tolerance and beautiful people.”
Anna Rebelo came to Canada 10 years ago from New Zealand for a winter vacation, and on Wednesday she became a Canadian citizen.
“I came to go snowboarding in Banff, like a lot of New Zealanders do, and I loved it so much,” she said.
While in Banff, she met her husband, and for the past six years the two of them have been living in Revelstoke, where they own a local restaurant.
“I came back for the mountains and the nature and the people,” said Rebelo.
Meeting the prime minster added to the excitement of the day, she said.
“I felt like I wanted to say something to him, but I just said thank you,” she said.