BADDECK, N.S. — For one family whose members are among Canada’s newest citizens, it was the desire to provide new opportunities for their daughters that led to them to choose to resettle from Colombia.
Martin Leguizamon, Alejandra Lopez and their 13-year-old daughter Alicia were among 49 people from 19 countries who swore the oath of citizenship at a special ceremony held Tuesday at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, becoming new Canadians.
“We are very happy to be here and to be part of this new milestone in our lives,” Leguizamon said.
“We thought that it was time to move to another stage in our lives and Canada offered many things, we wanted to provide the opportunity to explore and to live ... We are very happy to be here today and now we are officially Canadians.”
Now living in Sydney River, Lopez is a physician while Leguizamon is a physical oceanographer who works part-time at Cape Breton University conducting marine research around the island and particularly the Bras d’Or Lake.
Professional opportunities drew the family, which also includes 11-year-old daughter Sofia, to Cape Breton. About 10 years ago they were living in Toronto and Lopez was performing a fellowship in pediatric anaesthesia while Leguizamon was stationed with the Canadian Armed Forces.
“A friend of ours mentioned the fact that there were opportunities both in my wife’s field of work, in medicine, and also being in the Maritimes and being on an island in the marine area, that’s the reason we decided to come and give it a try and it has been great,” Leguizamon said. “People are so welcoming and it’s home for us right now.”
Friends, family and supporters of the new Canadians applauded as their names were called and they collected their certificates of citizenship and anxiously snapped photos and took videos of the proceedings. Many eagerly took advantage of the opportunity after the ceremony to have their photo taken with Rose Ann Poirier, the presiding official for the ceremony, and with Staff Sgt. Darren Waidson of the Baddeck RCMP, in his iconic red serge.
Madeline Harvey of Parks Canada said the staff of the national historic site was pleased to have the chance to welcome the new citizens in the same way that Alexander Graham and Mabel Bell were welcomed to the area when they first arrived in 1885.
“Many of you have also travelled far and struggled to make a new home in Canada,” said Poirier, who is director of Citizenship and Immigration’s case processing centre in Sydney. “Your decision meant adapting to a new culture, a new climate and, for most of you, a new language. You are joining the Canadian story.”
Following the ceremony, Rose Fraser of Sydney gathered with her husband, William, and their two daughters, seven-year-old Alexandra and five-year-old Yzabella, who clutched small Canadian flags and cupcakes.
Originally from the Philippines, when asked what it was that drew her to Canada, she said, “Him,” pointing to her husband, who she had met overseas. She has now been in Canada for eight years and runs a small business.
“I am very overwhelmed but very happy that this is finally done and I could be with my family for sure for the rest of our lives,” said Rose. “It’s a great pride for all of us.”
