Virtual citizenship ceremony organized to welcome immigrants on Canada day

The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic messed up the regular Canada Day plans for many. First-time immigrants were deprived of the chance of having an in-person ceremony confirming their citizenship. However, the government decided to organize virtual ceremonies so that candidates would not have to delay that moment of celebration further.

Canada has organized more than 1,000 virtual citizenship ceremonies since April 1 because the in-person ceremonies that were scheduled for late March had to be canceled because of the pandemic.

Details of the ceremony:

The virtual event took place at a fixed time, making this the first time that immigrants have been sworn in as Canadian citizens at the same time all across the country. The formal event saw 19 immigrants across Canada accept their citizenship on Canada day.

It has never happened before in history that people have been able to take the oath of citizenship together from one coast to another. Everybody came together to make the ceremony a success even in these difficult times.

Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, delivered his speech from Mississauga in both the official languages of Canada. The stream also had subtitles running underneath so that people would find it easier to follow. He stressed the importance of the participants taking the oath of citizenship simultaneously.

The 19 new citizens who became a part of the Canadian community ranged in age from 6 to 66. Together, they represented 13 countries of origin across the globe. The ceremony was live-streamed on Vimeo, and the candidates participate while inside their homes in British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon, the Atlantic Provinces, and more.

A post-ceremony luncheon could not be arranged, so the new citizens were treated to food from Tim Hortons that was directly delivered to their respective homes.