The Battlefords welcome 28 new Canadian citizens

The Battlefords celebrated the initiation of 28 new Canadian citizens at the Western Development Museum this morning prior to the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre’s celebration of diversity, A Taste of Culture.

Newcomers who had passed prior testing took the Oath of Citizenship during the ceremony and were officially pronounced Canadians. Many expressed excitement and gratitude for the opportunity.

John Roeldasig, originally from the Philippines, has lived in Canada for five years prior to receiving his citizenship. “[Becoming a citizen is] pretty much a dream come true,” he said. “Back in the Philippines, we’ve always wanted to visit somewhere else.”

“When [my family and I] got here I was just like, ‘wow, everything’s white,’” he added, laughing as he recalled his first encounter with a Canadian winter.