The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1973, Page 15

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
13
AT THE EDITOR’S DESK
A COURT OF CANADIAN
CITIZENSHIP
A Court of Canadian Citizenship
was in session at the Legislative Build-
ings, Winnipeg, on May 16, 1973.
Judge Peter Taraska presided. A spec-
ial guest was His Honour, Lieutenant-
Governor J. W. McKaeg.
The ceremony was impressive. Thir-
ty-one newcomers to Canada received
their Canadian citizenship and thir-
teen special presentations were made
to persons representing native Can-
dian Indians, Lord Selkirk Settlers,
Senior Citizens, and Canadian students
who have recently attained their
majority.
The new-comers hailed from 22 dif-
ferent countries: Belgium (1), Czecho-
slovakia (2), China (1), Denmark (1),
Dutch East Indies (2) France (1), Ger-
many (2), Greece (3), Holland (2),
Hungary (1), Indonesia (1), Italy (1),
Mexico (1), Paraguay (1), Philippines
(1), Poland (1), Portugal (2), Spain
(1), Sweden (1), United States (2),
U.S.S.R. (1), Yugoslavia (2).
It is noteworthy that the newcomer
whose country of birth is Mexico
bears the name of Heinrich Neustaeter
and the person from Paraguay is Flans
Thiessen. Obviously these men are
descendants of the Mennonites who
left Manitoba for Mexico and Para-
guay in the 1920’s. The Canadian stu-
dents were represented by Miss Lori
Gay Sigurdson, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. R. Sigurdson, of Winnipeg.
Judge Peter Taraska stated that in
1972 he admitted over 2,000 Manitoba
people from 53 different countries of
origin to Canadian citizenship.
It was mentioned that our various
national -elements are being made, not
more uniform but more harmonious.
Such is the picture of our evolving
Canadian people.
* * *
GOOD CITIZENSHIP
This week is set aside across -the
country as Citizenship Week — a week
during which, it is hoped, Canadians
will take a look at themselves, count
their blessings, admit their failings
and -perhaps make a silent promise to
be better citizens in future.
No one has yet unerringly placed
his finger on the Canadian “identity”.
Indeed, if there is such a thing it is
made up of -the 'contributions of many
lands and many peoples. This is as it
must, and should be. The words of
the Queen when she visited these
shores two years ago are worth recall-
ing in this respect:
“No one expects or demands our
new citizens to desert their heritage,
to reject their past, or -to deny their
identity. It is a serious commitment
to choose a new country, to translate
one’s life into a new context. Yet no
one can take this courageous leap of
the heart without a backward glance.
It is quite impossible to shrug off the
heritage of generations and the culture
of the ages and it is not expected.”
* * *
All of which having been said, it
cannot be denied or ignored that