New Canadians proud to join Olympic cheering squad

New Canadians proud to join Olympic cheering squad. Thirty-six people from sixteen countries became new citizens of Canada Feb. 10 during a special ceremony held at John English Junior Middle School and hosted by IODE Kathleen Drope Chapter. Among the new citizens include Estella Carpio (centre) and her son Diego Lastres (right) who are from Peru. Staff photo/ANICE WONG

Hosted in the auditorium at John English Junior Middle School by Etobicoke's Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE) Kathleen Drope chapter, the citizenship ceremony saw men, women and children from Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Liberia, Moldova, Peru, Phillipines, Poland, Somalia, Russia and Ukraine become Canadians.

The timing of the ceremony - just two days before that of the Olympic opening - was a fortuitous one, IODE President Pamela Gallagher told new citizens.

"This is a very special week - not only is it your citizenship court date, but it is the week that now you can join with 33 million other Canadians to cheer on our athletes at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It will be very easy to catch the spirit," she said, encouraging new citizens to emulate our Olympians and get out to try some winter sports for themselves. "I want to assure you that having a winter activity makes the winter go a lot faster here in Canada."

Also on hand at Wednesday's ceremony to help welcome Canada's newest citizens were John English's grades 4 and 5 classes. In addition to singing a stirring rendition of This Land is Your Land, a select group of students were also chosen to read compositions they wrote about Canada.

Student involvement in the ceremony, said Principal Eileen Dick, served to "reinforce for them what it means to be a citizen of Canada and reminded them of the ideals and values that make Canada the great country that it is."

Keeping with the Olympic theme, fifth-grader Martin Janda chose to talk a little about what makes Canada so great to him - the nation's favourite pastime.

"Canada is well-known for its passion for hockey - it's almost like a religion," he said, to knowing laughter from the crowd. "Many boys and girls wake up early in the morning to get some ice time. Canada is hockey, and hockey is Canada."

Classmate Krystyna Poremba, meanwhile, spoke instead about the pride she feels upon hearing the opening strains of O Canada.

"When I stand for the Canadian anthem, I feel that the wind is blowing through my soul and the words are speaking to me, and soldiers are thanking me for my belief in them," she said. "When I stand for the Canadian national anthem, I think of how proud I am to be a Canadian."

That national pride, remarked Citizenship Judge Floyd Babcock, who presided over the ceremony, was hard earned for the group of new citizens sitting before him. Recognizing that some had fled war torn homelands, having borne first-hand witness to the "inhumanity and cruelty that often blights our world," Babcock said he was honoured to be the one to reward the group's courage, perseverance and faith.

"You have been forced to walk a long and difficult road and we are glad that road has brought you to us. We now welcome you as part of our extended family," he said.

"Today, as this ceremony is concluded and you are a Canadian citizen, I encourage you to go out into your communities, to continue to contribute your talents, your strengths, your dreams, your hopes to our collective efforts to build a better Canada," he added, before leading all 36 new citizens in a collectively chant of "I am a Canadian."

No one was happier to recite those words than Estela Carpio, who fled from her native Peru six years ago to make a better life with her son Diego, now 14.

"We are so happy because Canada has welcomed us," she said after taking her oath. "It makes me feel so proud."