New citizens welcomed on Canada Day

When Elmelen Rudd arrived in the country from the Phillipines seven years ago, she never dreamt that one day she would be singing in front of a Canada Day crowd. Photo by Liam Berti.

Now, after becoming a Canadian citizen just one year ago, Rudd can proudly say she’s accomplished that feat after belting her heart out on the Kiwanis Band Shell stage Tuesday.

“It was overwhelming and heartwarming, watching people cheering for you,” said an ecstatic Rudd after leaving the stage. “I feel honoured to be part of Canada Day celebrations.”

“I’m a very, very proud Canadian.”

Rudd was part of a large group of performers that took their turn performing in the eighth annual Multicultural Showcase at the band shell on Tuesday, just one of the many events involved in the Canada Day celebrations at the waterfront.

“I think it’s a great space for culture sharing. People get to experience different cultures in their own community and they kind of realize how diverse it is,” said North Bay and District Multicultural Centre Program Coordinator Deborah Robertson. “I think it’s great that everyone who lives in North Bay has the opportunity to showcase their roots and their traditions in front of the community they live in.”

Other performances in the showcase included Tamil singing, hip hop dancing, Italian opera singing, a martial arts demo and a belly dance and country line fusion, to name just a few.

After the dignitary speeches and ceremonial cake cutting, Nipissing-Temiskaming MP Jay Aspin hosted a reaffirmation of citizenship ceremony before everyone in the crowd joined him in the singing of the national anthem.

“Last year we had a Canadian citizenship ceremony and we haven’t got the volume to do it every year, so they gave us the authority to do it every second year,” Aspin explained. “So, in the years in between, we’re going to do a citizenship reaffirmation ceremony, where the people that have become new Canadian citizens in our area get the chance to pledge the oath of allegiance, so they don’t miss anything locally.”

“As a Canadian, you love Canada, and to share it with people that are just becoming new Canadians is one of the thrills of your life,” Aspin continued.

And according to Rudd and others at the event, that sense of Canadian community was conjured up on Tuesday as the 2014 Canada Day celebrations officially went off without a hitch. Despite the threat of poor weather early on, the crowds were treated to a seamless day at the waterfront.

Other events included a cricket match at Amelia Soccer Field, as well as a concert by Gary Davidson, Rambling Fever and The Brian Risk Band back at the Kiwanis Bandshell in the evening.

The triple-headlined concert was the official launch of the Summer Concert Series, which will see three different bands play the Kiwanis Band Shell every Wednesday night for more than a month, with the last show being playing on August 13.