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

Governor General Mary Simon delivers a speech during Canada Day celebrations at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa on Friday July 1, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

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.

Sannella will be spending her first Canada Day officially as a citizen, a title she says comes with responsibility.

“Yes, it is a privilege to be a citizen, it’s a privilege to vote, it’s a privilege to live here. But it’s also a responsibility to ensure that it continues on,” she said.

Sannella said U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war and talk of making Canada the 51st state further fuelled her desire to become a citizen.

The tumultuous political environment south of the border and increasing displays of Canadian patriotism amid Trump’s threats may have also spurred others in the country to seek Canadian citizenship, said Howard Ramos, a sociology professor at Western University.

When there is a sense of pride in a country, it makes other people interested in joining and celebrating that identity, he said.

“It becomes infectious.”

However, Ramos said it’s too early to tell whether more people are applying for Canadian citizenship due to the Canada-U.S. trade tensions.

That certainly wasn’t the case for Simone Goloven, who also recently became a Canadian and now holds citizenship of three countries.

“I wasn’t that person who was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to become a Canadian now because I don’t want to be an American anymore,” said Goloven, who was born in the United States and grew up in France.

“I still feel a part of the United States and France and my heart really does hurt for everything that’s happening over (in the U.S),” she said.

Goloven came to Canada in 2013 when she learned that she could study in a Quebec university for the same price as domestic students due to her French citizenship.

She said she knew she wanted to call Canada home when she realized her background would be embraced here.

“The beautiful thing about Canada is that you don’t need to give anything up. You can still be who you are and respect and celebrate your culture and where you came from,” said Goloven.

Still, she said, the patriotism in the country has made it “more powerful” to be Canadian than ever before.

As she celebrates Canada Day at a barbecue for new citizens in Sherbrooke, Que., Goloven said she will also keep in mind the country’s past and its relationship with its Indigenous communities.

“When I was getting my citizenship, on the call the judge mentioned how as new citizens it’s our responsibility for reconciliation and to learn more about our history and to not forget about it,” she said.

Christian Jaehn-Kreibaum is also marking his first Canada Day as a citizen this year. He’ll spend the holiday volunteering at a fireworks show in Belleville, Ont., where he will be helping attendees navigate the parking lot.

Jaehn-Kreibaum moved to Canada from Hamburg in 1999 and said he delayed getting his citizenship because Germany didn’t allow dual citizenships until last year.

“So, I finally came to my senses last September and said, ‘let’s attack it,” he said.

After taking his oath at an Ottawa ceremony in mid-June, Jaehn-Kreibaum said he is most looking forward to being able to vote and call himself Canadian – something he said people don’t appreciate enough.

“Canadians undervalue themselves. They should be saying more that they are proud Canadians,” he said.

“As a German in Canada, I can say, ‘[Do] you realize the kind of great country that you have?”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2025.

Vanessa Tiberio, The Canadian Press