‘It’s a privilege to live here’: What this Canada Day means for new citizens

By Vanessa Tiberio Samantha Sannella shed happy tears as she stood to sing the national anthem at her citizenship ceremony in early June, nearly three decades after she moved to Canada. She had sung “O Canada” countless times before, but this was the first time she’d done so as a Canadian. Originally from Houston, Texas, Sannella moved to Toronto 28 years ago for a job. For the longest time, she still considered herself a U.S. citizen, with a part of her thinking she might move back one day. But that changed last fall. “Because of the political climate down there, I decided finally after the last U.S. election that I was really Canadian in my heart and home is here with my boys,” Sannella said, referring to her Canadian-born children…

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.