By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

Canadian Citizenship Week which runs from May 13-19 was marked in Oliver with a special event in which Don Wrigglesworth, Oliver RCMP Detachment Commander donned his red serge to celebrate becoming a Canadian citizen.

Galardo shared her journey to becoming a Canadian where she recalled a special day in 2017 when she and her mother watched a Citizenship Ceremony in Penticton. “One day, I will see you on that stage when you become a Canadian Citizen,” Galardo’s mother said.

Due to COVID-19, all citizenship ceremonies moved online which still continues, making this in-person celebration with Wrigglesworth a particularly momentous occasion. 

“This is a huge milestone in my life, and I am proud to be a Canadian now,” said Galardo. “I am very grateful to Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth for taking pictures with me for this important event. My mom will be very happy to receive this picture,” she said.

Wrigglesworth noted that he has previously taken part in many Citizenship ceremonies where nearly 100 new Canadians from close to 50 countries celebrated their new life, including Galardo’s mother.. “It was an honour and very eye-opening to see how proud and happy these people were. It made me realize how lucky we are to be born in this country,” the Oliver RCMP Commander said.

“To celebrate Citizenship Week, I was happy to wear my uniform for this important memory for Ms. Galardo. She told me that her mother still has a picture with me from 2017 when she attended that ceremony in Penticton.”

The event showcased the importance of becoming a Canadian citizen and the strong connections that can be forged during these momentous occasions. 

“Congratulations to Anke Galardo on becoming a Canadian citizen, and thank you to Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth for celebrating the pride of being a Canadian,” said Corporal James Grandy Media Relations Officer with the Southeast District, Communication Services RCMP E Division.

Canada welcomed 393,500 new citizens between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024 with the path to becoming a Canadian citizen involving multiple steps that take years to complete starting with permanent resident status in Canada.

Once a citizenship candidate has permanent resident status, they must then meet the physical residence requirements of having lived in Canada for at least three of the past five years or a total of 1,095 days.

Proof that the permanent resident has filed taxes in Canada for three of the past five years is also required and those who do not file taxes are not eligible for any government refunds, benefits, or credits.

Applicants must also have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least four in either English or French (Canada’s official languages) as demonstrated using:

  • Results from an approved third-party test; or
  • Transcripts or a diploma from a secondary or post-secondary education in English or French; or
  • Evidence of achieving CLB 4 or higher in certain government language programs.

Once these requirements are met, applicants must pass a citizenship test issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which takes 20-30 minutes to complete and features questions about Canadian history, geography, political process, and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. Applicants must score 15 out of 20 to pass.