Thursday, Gagandeep Sehgal was sworn in as a Canadian citizen at the Charlottetown Inn and Conference Centre along with 45 other newcomers to P.E.I.
Sehgal moved to Canada in 2010 to join his family and pursue education. He was working doing IT in India, but recognized a higher education standard in Canada. Sehgal obtained a masters of business administration and his education has paid off.
“I am a software developer. I’m working with Thinking Big,” he said. “Right now, I am working on a project for the federal government.”
Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry stood in front of immigrants from many different countries around the world.
“I’m so happy you chose to become citizens of this great country,” she said. “Many of you have traveled far and struggled to make a new home in Canada. Your decision meant adapting to a new culture, new climate and for most of you a new language.”
Perry noted many newcomers have made the sometimes agonizing decision to leave their homes and make a new life here.
“You have made the tough adjustments in favour of Canada. Today in Charlottetown P.E.I. Canada is declaring favor in you. Our history is now your history, our laws are now your laws, our identity is your identity,” Perry said.
Scott Weeks is a Charlottetown resident who attended the event.
“This is the first time I have been to one of these events.”
Weeks hopes the ceremony encourages his wife to obtain her Canadian citizenship.
“Hopefully she is next,” he said.
Each of the 43 soon to be Canadians rose to swear an oath to the country, then individually approached the stage to shake hands with officials and sign documentation to become citizens.
Every new Canadian in attendance received a tree to plant with a card from the department of Workforce and Advanced Learning, it read, “Thank you for planting your roots here on P.E.I. We hope you stay to watch your tree grow.”
Everyone stood for their new national anthem.
Sehgal waited eight long years to finally get his Canadian citizenship.
“It is awesome. I have been waiting for way too long.”
The first thing he wants to do as a Canadian citizen is party, Sehgal said.
“A couple of us are going to get together on the weekend and have some champagne.”
