What does being Canadian mean to you?

October 5, 2016 – Ottawa, ON – Citizenship Week is being celebrated across Canada from October 10 to 16, 2016, and we want to know what being Canadian means to you.

We invite you to share your thoughts on what it means to be Canadian, stories of your citizenship journey, or photos or videos of your citizenship ceremony with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MyCitizenship.

“In Canada, our diversity is our strength. We welcome people from around the world to come here, settle, integrate, contribute and become citizens. Citizenship Week is a time for all Canadians to reflect on the rights and responsibilities that we share as Canadians and to celebrate Canada’s vast diversity.”

Hon. John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Many activities are taking place leading up to and during Citizenship Week, including special citizenship ceremonies, guided walks and the illumination of the sails of Vancouver’s Canada Place, the Calgary Tower, the Olympic Plaza, Toronto’s CN Tower and Montreal’s City Hall and Biosphere with the colours of the Canadian flag.

For more information about Citizenship Week events, trivia, photos, videos and promotional items, visit the Citizenship Week web page.

Quick facts

• Canada’s population is made up of over 200 ethnic groups, with 13 of those groups numbering over one million. More than one in five Canadians were born outside Canada. This is our strength and a source of great pride.
• This year during Citizenship Week, approximately 2,800 people will become citizens at 46 ceremonies across Canada.
• In 2015, 252,175 people became Canadian citizens.
• In 2017, we will celebrate 70 years of Canadian citizenship and Canada’s 150^th birthday!