Citizenship Week Is Coming

Canadian citizenship week is from October 21 to the 27 and it’s an excellent time to consider becoming a citizen or, if you are already a citizen, celebrate being a citizen of Canada.

Becoming a Citizen

Permanent residents of Canada who have lived in the country for three out of the past four years can apply for citizenship with the CIC.

All citizens are required to pass a couple of tests, specifically a language test and a Canadian knowledge test. Canadian citizens are required to be competent in one of the official languages (English or French).

After a successful application and completion of the tests, permanent residents will take an oath and become a citizen!

Events

During the week there will be many different activities taking place centered around Canadian citizenship.

• Citizenship ceremonies — permanent residents will take their oaths and become full citizens of Canada in formal ceremonies taking place at various community centers across Canada.
• Reaffirmation ceremonies — reaffirmation ceremonies are for people who are already citizens and wish to publically take the citizenship oath again (or for some, the first time) as a gesture of allegiance to the country that they call home.
• Public Activities — Many organizations, businesses, institutions and schools will be doing things during this week in honor of Canadian citizenship. One very notable event is that the CN Tower, the tallest structure in Canada, will be lit up red and white for the week.

Celebrating Citizenship

Citizenship and Immigration Canada lists a lot of different ways by which you can celebrate your citizenship, but probably the best of all is to get out into your community and participate in events with other Canadians.