2017, the year I qualify to become a Canadian citizen. I’ve already begun trawling through the paperwork in meticulous detail, pulling all the documents, photos and other supporting papers together. Past experience has taught me that you cannot be too careful when it comes to any immigration application. As I shift through the mound of forms in front of me, I find my thoughts drifting to what citizenship means for me and my family.
When I first arrived in Canada on New Year’s Day 2013, it was with a sense of trepidation and hope. We left with Ireland in the midst of an economic recession and social depression. We are all familiar with the tale of woe at this stage. My wife and I moved to Toronto with no job, no contacts and no place to live. A common situation for many immigrants, yet in our minds we had made the right decision. We knew that we could make a go of things here. And, over the past four years, through a combination of hard work and a lot of good fortune, our verdict hasn’t changed. Canada has delivered!
Fourteen months ago we welcomed our first child into the world, a little girl called Aoife Rose. And how our lives changed! Gone are the Friday nights at the bar, dinner and cinema on a Saturday and lazy Sunday mornings. I never knew I could feel this tired. But despite the sleepless nights, poopy diapers and new appreciation for wet wipes, I wouldn’t change a thing. Our little Canadian girl has brought a whole new meaning to our lives. It has also heightened my desire to become a citizen of the country of her birth.
Having a child who was born here, only confirmed that this is the place we will remain. Many immigrants struggle with a yearning to return one day, to go back to what is familiar. It’s a constant state of flux that can make it difficult to settle in a new place. For me, having a child changed all that. This is now home. And if this is the case then I want to be able to call myself Canadian too. Being a permanent resident affords almost all the same rights, save the right to vote. With the arrival of our little one, I feel the need to have a say in how this country is run and help shape the Canada she is going to grow up in. Does it mean that I am less Irish, that I’m giving up something that continues to be so important to me, my Irishness?
I don’t believe so. If everything goes to plan, I’ll end up spending more of my life in Canada than in Ireland. I’ll watch my kids grow, get married and have kid of their own here, not back home. Yet, Ireland will always be just that; my home. Becoming a Canadian citizen will never dampen my Irishness, but it will mean that I get to be part of a country that I love almost as deeply. Canada has afforded me and my family opportunities that I don’t think Ireland could ever provide and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. Becoming a citizen makes me feel like I’m in some part repaying that debt of gratitude.
This year we celebrate this great nations 150th birthday and I hope to be able to do it as proud Canadian.
By: Pat Jordan
