Canadian citizenship ceremony held in Halifax museum an emotional celebration - BERITAJA

Five-year-old Anaya was smiling and dancing arsenic she waved a mini Canadian emblem during her father’s Canadian citizenship ceremony Friday, incapable to incorporate her excitement.

Her dad, Ashis Mandal, was among 30 caller Canadians from 18 countries sworn successful during a ceremonial astatine Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Anaya and her mother Sneha Majumder were beaming arsenic they watched Mandal return the citizenship oath.

“I’m so, truthful happy,” Anaya said.

“We’re each truthful happy,” her mother added.

The typical ceremonial held by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab took spot during Citizenship Week — which falls betwixt April 12-18 this twelvemonth — a week the authorities says is to “celebrate the authorities and responsibilities shared by each Canadian citizens.” Friday’s ceremonial successful Halifax included a dream and drumming from Angela Doyle-Faulkner. It was presided complete by citizenship judge Joan Mahoney.

“I cognize that you could person chosen to unrecorded conscionable about anyplace successful the world and you’ve picked Canada, and we’re grateful that you did,” Mahoney said during the ceremony.

Anaya Mandal waves a Canadian emblem pinch her parents Ashis Mandal, right, and Sneha Majumder, arsenic Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Lena Metlege Diab, welcomes Canada’s newest citizens astatine the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic successful Halifax, Friday, April 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Riley Smith

“Certainly we’re not a cleanable country, but we’re very fortunate to unrecorded successful a antiauthoritarian state wherever individual authorities and freedoms aren’t conscionable respected, they’re the instauration of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” she said, adding that Friday marked the 44th day of the Charter.

Mahoney said that sadly, these authorities are not guaranteed successful each nation.

Mandal said it’s an honour to beryllium a Canadian citizen, adding that the ceremonial marked a very typical infinitesimal for their family. “This is decidedly a representation we’re going to carry,” Mandal said.

He said their family near India and chose Canada for its group and culture. “The measurement Canadians live, worth each other, respect each other. I wanted my girl to turn successful this situation …. This is the logic we’re present and I’m very happy to beryllium here,” Mandal said.

Shomoukh Wael Mejjallid, 23, was calved successful Saudi Arabia and moved to Nova Scotia pinch her family successful 2012. She says Canada has ever felt for illustration home.

“I locomotion down the street, I consciousness truthful safe here. I person truthful galore opportunities here, I could unrecorded my life present decently without being judged,” Wael Mejjallid said successful an question and reply pursuing the ceremony.

She said Canada is simply a state that believes successful and empowers women. “I don’t person to interest about the whole, ‘Oh you’re a woman, blah blah blah, you can’t do anything.’ There’s nary specified point arsenic that. I americium a powerful female present and I could do immoderate I want.”

Wael Mejjallid is simply a personnel of the Canadian Armed Forces, training retired of Gagetown, N.B. However, she wasn’t capable to beforehand successful training until she became a citizen.

“I could commencement backmost adjacent period decently … and I could springiness backmost to the state that gave maine a home. That’s why I’m really happy,” she said.