Canada Celebrates 60th Anniversary of
Canadian
Citizenship
This month Canada is celebrating the 60th
anniversary of the Canadian Citizenship Act. The act, which was
passed in 1946 but took effect in 1947, created a legally
distinct Canadian citizenship.
While Canada
achieved independence from Britain in 1867 with the
passing of the British North America act, Canadian
sovereignty was achieved in stages, and Canadians
remained British subjects. After the second World War
however pressure increased to recognize Canadian
citizenship. The result was the Canadian Citizenship
Act—closely modeled on the equivalent British
legislation—which conferred Canadian citizenship on
January 1st 1947 on most British subjects associated with
Canada at the time.
Canada is marking
the anniversary with a special citizenship ceremony in
Ottawa. The ceremony will be presided over by the Right
Honourable Beverly McLaughlin, Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of Canada. At the ceremony, eighteen
families with representation from each province and
territory in Canada will take the oath of citizenship.
Also attending the ceremony are the Right Honourable
Michaelle Jean Governor-General of Canada as well as the
Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration.
The Citizenship Act
has undergone one major revision, in 1977, since it the
initial legislation took effect. The most significant
change made at this time was the recognition of multiple
citizenships. There are three main ways to acquire
Canadian citizenship: by birth, by descent and by
naturalization. As for the first, any individual born in
Canada (with the exception of the children of diplomats)
are conferred Canadian citizenship at birth. Children of
Canadian citizens born outside of Canada also acquire
Canadian citizenship. The naturalization route is the
path to Canadian citizenship available to immigrants,
applying after 3 years as a permanent resident living in
Canada.
Source: Citizenship and
Immigration and Canada
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