Blyth's Cindy Norgate details her citizenship journey to become Canadian
BY CINDY NORGATE
After living here for over seven years, I took my Oath of Citizenship and became a Canadian Citizen on July 29 in a virtual ceremony in my home on Drummond Street in Blyth. I was one of nearly 150 people to do it.
The ceremony was beautiful with videos of this lovely country, a welcome from the Prime Minister, and information about the Indigenous peoples. After saying our oath as a group, we were officially welcomed to Canada as citizens and allowed to take a photo.
I have had people ask me the difference between being a permanent resident and a Canadian Citizen, which is a fair question. Unless you’ve been through, or know someone who has been through the process, you might not understand.
When I arrived in Canada in May of 2017, I was a visitor. I could stay for six months. After that, I didn’t know what to do, as I had no immigration experience. My husband, being Canadian, suggested we go to the office of our local MP, Ben Lobb. That relationship changed my life. I met Mr. Bill Strong and through numerous phone calls to the federal immigration office, I navigated my way, with his help, through the process.
After a visitor extension was approved, I then applied for permanent residency, allowing me to work, have health insurance, and, yes, pay taxes. That amounted to over 100 pages of documents, photos, fingerprinting by both the U.S. and Canadian federal governments, references, medical exams, chest x-rays (tuberculosis), and bloodwork. This was the most grueling time I had ever encountered, but I knew it was all for a reason.
After landing as a permanent resident in 2019, I then set my eyes to achieve my goal of becoming a Canadian citizen. I wanted to finish the course. However, after going through the grueling process of permanent residency, I just didn’t know if I had it in me, but I decided to go for it. I wanted to be able to vote in the new land where I lay my head and have put down roots.
If you are a permanent resident in Canada, I want to encourage you to go for citizenship. It made me no longer feel as though I was in between two countries. It made me feel that, yes, I am an American, but I can now call myself a Canadian, too. As stated earlier, I can register to vote. I can have a voice that so many the world over can only hope to have.
It always troubles me when I hear people speak badly of their home country in North America, because we live in a place where, although both of my countries have their faults, because no country is perfect, we have such a fantastic life, compared to refugees trying to flee violence and suffering. We truly are living in a bounty of hope.
Days before my ceremony, I asked my husband to watch a series on YouTube that the Canadian government, along with the CBC, ran during Canada’s 150th birthday. It is called, “Canada; The Story of Us”. I wanted to know all about Canada’s history and this documentary does not disappoint. I strongly encourage every Canadian to watch.
Before I leave you, I want to thank God, most of all, for, without Him, I could have done nothing. To my husband, Jeff, who has stood beside me through every step of the way, my wonderful parents in western Tennessee, who have been supportive throughout the entire process, the office of MP Ben Lobb, whose staff helped me to navigate this process, my pastor Sam Katchikian who encouraged me to finish the immigration process when I wasn’t so sure I could do it, and to all of you, who have been so welcoming and supportive to this girl from Tennessee who speaks with a Southern drawl, thank you.
“Citizenship is the chance to make a difference to the place where you belong.” - Charles Handy