There hasn’t been an in-person citizenship ceremony in Thunder Bay for years. A petition aims to change that

A reminder of the importance of in-person ceremonies vs virtual “marginalized to such a small and lackluster event”:

Greta Piazza says becoming a Canadian citizen in Thunder Bay, Ont., was a great feeling — but the moment would have felt more significant had the ceremony been held in person.

Piazza, who is from Arona, Italy, has been living in the northwestern Ontario city for about five years. She’s lived in a number of countries, including Spain, Portugal and Ireland, but was drawn to Canada by her husband, Tim Van Reenen.

She passed her Canadian citizenship test last year, but had to take her oath online.

“I would have been more happy to have it in person because it’s a different feeling,” Piazza said. “I could have been there with the other new citizen[s] and with the judge in person, the flags, the officials.”

“After the ceremony, you receive a citizen certificate. Receiving that in person probably would have … made the experience more real.”

The Thunder Bay Multicultural Association (TBMA), which offers classes to help people prepare for the citizenship test, helped organize the city’s ceremonies, which saw between 100 and 120 candidates each.

“They often had two ceremonies per year just because of the demand,” said the TBMA’s executive director, Cathy Woodbeck. “There were candidates from across northwestern Ontario.”

The ceremonies have been held virtually by video call since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Thunder Bay resident Julie Hutka started a petition in the hopes of changing that.

“I think that it’s so important to have that opportunity to celebrate this major step in front of one’s family and friends and with other people who are stepping onto this journey, that it really should be in person,” Hutka said.

“Things can be streamlined for bureaucracy, but I don’t believe this is one of them that should be.”

Candidates may request format change: IRCC

Hutka has a family member going through the process of becoming a Canadian citizen. Her relative’s friend recently took the oath, and Hutka said she was shocked to learn it happened on a laptop at the kitchen table.

“I thought really, this is such a monumental moment in the long process to becoming a Canadian, that it is marginalized to such a small and lackluster event,” she said.

“My mother became a Canadian citizen many, many, many years ago and it was a real moment of pride just to watch my mother take this oath.”

CBC News reached out to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and received an emailed statement on Tuesday.

“The Government of Canada is committed to continue delivering meaningful, celebratory and inclusive in-person and virtual ceremonies, in all regions of the country. Candidates are invited by the department to either an in-person or virtual ceremony based on operational considerations,” the statement says.

“Candidates may request a change of format (e.g. from virtual ceremony to in-person ceremony and vice-versa) and the department makes best efforts to accommodate their preference.”

However, the government’s webpage on citizenship ceremonies says “IRCC primarily holds citizenship ceremonies via video, and occasionally in-person.”

“In-person ceremonies are often organized when there is demand and/or multiple applicants from an area awaiting a ceremony,” the department said in its statement.

For Woodbeck, in-person citizenship ceremonies were always the highlight of her work.

“These are probably the best things we get to attend. We have such a good time. A lot of the staff here at the association have gone through this process, have come from other countries, have become Canadian citizens, so they remember that,” Woodbeck said.

The government’s response about in-person ceremonies is encouraging, she said, and she hopes to be able to plan an in-person event soon.

When she first arrived, Piazza received support from the TBMA in completing her temporary residency application and then permanent residency application. Now, she’s giving back by helping other newcomers in the city as a language interpreter services worker there.

She loves living in northwestern Ontario and spending time at Thunder Bay’s marina and nearby Kakabeka Falls, she added.

“Sometimes for a newcomer here, it’s really challenging to know how to go through processes, and [the TBMA] have always been a good support to me,” Piazza said. “It’s a very great support for all newcomers.”

Source: There hasn’t been an in-person citizenship ceremony in Thunder Bay for years. A petition aims to change that