Citizenship ceremony
Photo by Mars Discovery District, Flickr
Oh Canada! It’s while singing the Canadian national anthem on July 11, 2012 in the offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, that I was finally able to relish my Canadian citizenship in French and in English. A day to be crowned by a badge of merit since I had to wait about ten months to attend the citizenship ceremony after writing and passing the required exam to claim the citizenship “title”.
On that day, eighty two people of all origins, including myself, listened to a speech given by a female judge in both of Canada’s official languages. I can still see the coat of arms hanging on the wall right behind her, the emblem of Canada, represented by the British royal arms (the lion and the harp) and the French one (the unicorn and the lily). The following motto was written below in Latin: A Mari usque ad Mare, meaning from sea to sea. This motto certainly spoke to me since my ancestors were not only Gallic but they also were from Brittany.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, I have embarked on an adventure: destination Canada…Vancouver in particular.
Why? Well, when I arrived here four and a half years ago, I never thought for one second that I would stay this long. Armed with a permanent residency, hard-won after a year and a half of waiting for it in France…patience is a virtue indeed…I felt, early on, this huge sense of freedom.
Before these mountains, I was overcome with this sense of being on the other side of the world, and I felt overwhelmed, to be honest. I also quickly understood the origins of Vancouver’s nickname: terminal city. This is the last stop: everyone must get off. I crossed the Atlantic Ocean and the whole of Canada to reach the gates of the Pacific Ocean. Such a long trip was motivated by one single thing: the desire to grow.
Canada is a nation of immigrants and the Canadian identity has been created through immigration and multiculturalism. It’s on this basis that I had the desire to stand out from the crowd, to take a step back from a European identity, strong of its own origin and culture and which can sometimes be oppressive and rigid for its children.
I come from a place where young and old keep different stances. Here, youth fuels society. People have a much higher regard for them. One can try, fail, try again, learn and in the end, move forward because we can always learn from our past experiences.
On the eve of my departure to Vancouver I had a phone conversation with a French-German man who immigrated to Canada many years ago. This wise man told me, “Hélène, in North America, nothing can ever be taken for granted!” This is true, nothing certainly can be.
Through my various jobs, internships and volunteer work, I have realized that Canada is a place where you can recreate your own life. A creativity tainted with anxiety and fear of the unknown, but this also allows anyone to get back on their feet.
My citizenship ceremony came to an end after four and a half years of learning how to stay in Canada. I will never forget who I am or where I came from, my grandfather turn over in his grave. France will always be where my roots are, my birthplace, my blood. After all, it’s where my entire family continues to live. But Canada is, simply put, an extension of who I am. It’s a garden to tend to. It’s proof that you can be both French and Canadian…I think it’s called a French-Canadian, and I’m proud of it.
“Keep calm and carry on” has now become my motto.
Translated by Nathalie Tarkowska
