During the ceremony held in the Jean-Byrns building at André-Viger Park on Canada Day, the 40 people, from 15 different countries, took the oath to receive their citizenship. Some live in Sherbrooke while others came from outside to attend this unique moment in their lives.
New citizens took the oath of citizenship. (Lilia Gaulin/La Tribune)
Gloria Arenas, originally from Colombia, obtained her citizenship with her 11-year-old son. “I’m happy!” she says spontaneously. The Sherbrooke resident was eagerly awaiting this moment.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” she says. “I think it’s been three years. […] Our requests were denied because something was always missing. After that, the photos were expired,” she gives as an example.
The beneficiary attendant welcomes the opportunities that Canada offers her. It was for security reasons that she and her children came to settle in Quebec in 2017.
Gaining Canadian citizenship
Sherbrooke Acting Mayor Raïs Kibonge congratulated the new Canadian citizens. “To make a long story short, I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1985. Exactly 20 years ago, when my sister called me to say that we were going to get the papers to come to Canada, I said to myself, ‘No, this is a joke. We’ve been waiting for four years.’ Today is a very special day. I know how hard you worked to earn citizenship,” he said during a speech.
Forty people received their citizenship. Friends and family were present for the occasion. (Lilia Gaulin/La Tribune)
The president of the ceremony was Lieutenant Colonel Martin Barrette.
“Receiving your citizenship today is much more than an administrative formality. It is the culmination of a journey, the achievement of stability, membership in a community and the beginning of a new adventure,” said Sherbrooke Liberal MP Élisabeth Brière.
The CAQ member for Saint-François, Geneviève Hébert, and municipal councillors Claude Charron and Fernanda Luz also attended the ceremony.
