There were tears and cheers Thursday morning at Canada Place as 71 new Canadians were sworn in as citizens of a country proudly celebrating its 143rd birthday.
Television anchor Pamela Martin, who became a Canadian citizen in the same event in 2003, encouraged her new fellow Canadians to enjoy the moment.
“It’s an emotional issue,” Martin told the new citizens, their family and friends and assorted onlookers.
“It’s OK to cry,” she said. “I did eight years ago.”
Not holding back the tears was Katherine Skolaude, who has actually lived in Canada for 37 years.
“I’ve been a Canadian in my heart ever since I had my first child here,” said Skolaude, 63.
But the New England native found it tough to renounce her U.S. citizenship.
She came to Canada for the sake of love.
“I fell in love with a Canadian man and married him and moved here,” she said. “It’s a love story.
“I didn’t leave my beautiful New England because I didn’t like it, I fell in love with the man.”
Her best moment came during the singing of O Canada.
“The most wonderful thing was singing O Canada as a Canadian,” she said.
“That was actually a prayer to God to keep our land strong and brave and free,” she said. “Every time we sing it, I think the Almighty hears that prayer, and I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been so blessed for so long.”
Skolaude also had another reason to be happy.
“I’m so delighted I can vote – finally,” she beamed.
Sarah Vafavi of West Vancouver didn’t have quite as much to say, but she was equally pleased about her citizenship.
“It’s pretty cool,” said the 15-year-old, who came to Canada from Iran in 2005.
The Canada Place ceremony was one of seven such events held around the province.
Other highlights of the day in Vancouver included the relighting of the Olympic cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza and a mass singing of O Canada at noon.
A Canada Day Community Celebration on Nanaimo Street between 41st and 45th avenues was among the neighbourhood events.
The second annual Canada Day Parade was to kick off the evening activities, with fireworks following at 10:30 p.m.
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