Marchelle Gonzales had tears in his eyes as he, his wife and their two children sang the national anthem for the first time as Canadian citizens.
The Gonzales family — originally from the Philippines — was among 79 people from 15 countries who became Canadians Thursday morning.
The crowd, many of whom wore suits or dresses, gathered in Union Station in downtown Winnipeg to recite the oath of citizenship, thereby completing the final step in a years-long immigration process.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Josefa Cueto, 11, cheers after taking her oath of citizenship with the rest of her family on Thursday morning.
“I was teary-eyed with the achievements that we have made,” Marchelle Gonzales said after the ceremony, drawing his 11-year-old son Marcus in for a hug. “We travelled around the world and then we decided Canada is for us.”
The family moved to Manitoba four years ago after spending 15 years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They landed in Winnipeg during the COVID-19 pandemic, alone without family or friends.
They’ve established a life here. Marcus intends to grow up to become an engineer and his sister Margaret, 14, hopes to become a lawyer.
The welcoming nature of Canadians helped to ease the transition, said their mother, Lylanie Gonzales.
“It’s like family. You don’t feel any pressure when you live here, it’s really like home,” she said.
Citizenship Court Judge Suzanne Carriere led the roughly hour-long ceremony, which featured many references to Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people.
“Reconciliation with Indigenous people is a responsibility of all Canadians, even new Canadians,” said Carriere, who became the country’s first Métis citizenship judge in 2021.
“I was born here, but just because it was easy for me does not mean I take it for granted… I recognize the courage, the determination and the hard work it took for each of you to get here,” she said.
Attendees watched a video that highlighted Canadian wildlife, geography, cities, sports and historical moments. They were welcomed to Canada by a slate of speakers and politicians.
“Even though you are Canadian citizens, there is nothing wrong with keeping your place of birth in your heart because that’s what being Canadian is,” said Liberal MP Kevin Lameroux
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, who represents the Union Station constituency, said their parents, who are immigrants, “always reminded us of the privileges afforded to us because not only did they choose Canada, but Canada chose them back.”
Federal Citizenship Minister Marc Miller also greeted the new Canadians.
“Life is about choices and this is an important one,” he told the crowd. “This is an important time in your lives. It is one you will remember for the rest of your lives.”
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Marcus Gonzales, 11, waves his Canadian flag Thursday morning after giving his oath of citizenship along with his father, Marchelle (right), mother Lylanie (second from right), and sister, Margaret (left).
Miller said, while he was born in Canada, he has personal experience with the immigration process because he married former Swedish diplomat Elin Sandberg, who is now a Canadian citizen.
Each person and family was called to the front of the room, where they accepted their citizenship documents and shook hands with the dignitaries, who were waiting with small Canadian flags and pins.
Carriere took a moment to speak with each newcomer, asking them where they were from and how long they had lived in Canada.
“It’s been a long journey, but finally we are here,” said Sebastian Cueto, who waited in line to take photos with the officials after the ceremony.
“To summarize my feelings, I am happy. It’s a sense of achievement and also I am proud of my family because we all made it here.”
Originally from Chile, Cueto immigrated to Winnipeg six years ago with his daughter Josefa, 11, son Alexander, 17, and wife Paulina Sanchez.
Border officials warned the family about Manitoba’s notoriously cold winters when they arrived, but they acclimated quickly because the area they had lived in was near Antarctica, Cueto said.
Alexander, who recently graduated from high school, dreams of becoming a firefighter. Josefa, who smiled throughout the ceremony, has not decided on her future career but has time to figure it out.
“I encourage people to be brave and resilient. If you set a goal in your life in Canada, for sure you can make it come true,” Cueto said.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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