The above is a photograph of new Canadian citizens swearing the oath of citzenship in a ceremony dated July 1, 2001. This was the first instance of the ceremony being held in the Fraser River Heritage Park. New Canadians from all sorts of different countries of origin did this and have done this since then in the park. This shows the diverse nature of Canada with people from practically everywhere joining the country as a whole. It can be assumed that this specific spot, the shelter structure has been a place where people have exchanged at least a little bit of knowledge of their cultures and nations from which they came from before settling in Canada and becoming Canadian citizens.
From https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/discover-canada/read-online/oath-citizenship.html
Understanding the Oath
In Canada, we profess our loyalty to a person who represents all Canadians and not to a document such as a constitution, a banner such as a flag, or a geopolitical entity such as a country. In our constitutional monarchy, these elements are encompassed by the Sovereign (Queen or King). It is a remarkably simple yet powerful principle: Canada is personified by the Sovereign just as the Sovereign is personified by Canada.
The oath of citizenship is as follows:
I swear (or affirm)
That I will be faithful
And bear true allegiance
To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second
Queen of Canada
Her Heirs and Successors
And that I will faithfully observe
The laws of Canada
And fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.
The Park has provided a focus and location for diverse people in Mission to come together and share their cultures. In this sense hosting the Citizenship ceremonies there seems like a logical culmination of enshrining that diversity in belonging through citizenship.
Recent Comments