For many Canadians, Canada Day is a chance to commemorate more than the anniversary of Confederation. It's a chance to remember personal moments: arriving in Canada for the first time as an immigrant or refugee, singing the anthem in elementary school, or watching fireworks burst over Parliament Hill.

To honour these moments, CTVNews.ca asked for stories of the times readers felt the most Canadian — the moments "Canada clicked" for them. The responses came from across the country, from Canadians young and old, Maritimers and West-coasters, new immigrants and people whose families have been here longer than living memory.

Allan Vance, a retired RCMP officer who lives in Tsawwassen, B.C., said he'd never before thought about the moment he felt most Canadian. But when he saw the submission form, he knew exactly which story to tell.

"I arrived from The Netherlands in 1967," Vance wrote. He was 18 at the time, and looking for adventure.

A few years after arriving, Vance applied to become a member of the RCMP. But first, he had to become a citizen. At the time there was only one citizenship judge in Saskatchewan, where Vance was living, and there was a long waitlist for sittings.

Vance said he convinced the judge to grant a special hearing just for him. "The judge and I were the only persons in the court room," Vance wrote.

After being granted citizenship, Vance joined the RCMP.

"One of the first assignments at my new post was to appear, in red serge, at a citizenship ceremony presided over by that same judge," he wrote.

The judge recognized Vance.

"He made a big deal of the fact that I was there and I was standing there all red-faced and I almost blended into my red uniform," Vance said. "When I stood in that court I think it was the epitome of being Canadian!"

For Monica Hall, a nurse from Guelph, Ont., "Canada clicked " when she cast her first vote in 1993. She was 18.

"I remember walking into the local school and being nervous, but really feeling a sense that I was part of Canada," she said. "I felt that my voice and opinion mattered."

As a female, Hall said, she is grateful for the opportunity to live in a place where her voice and vote count. And as a nurse, she added, she is thankful for Canada's healthcare system.

Marc Noiseux is proud of the role Canada plays internationally. Originally from St. Catharines, Ont., Noiseux is now studying conflict and human rights at the University of Ottawa. He said his program has helped him understand more about the role Canada plays in peacekeeping and aid missions.

Noiseux's "click" moment came the first time he left the country, on a high school trip to New York City. A shopkeeper recognized Noiseux and his friends as being Canadian, just from their mannerisms and use of the word "eh."

Noiseux said he felt proud to be identified with a country that has Canada's international reputation.

And on Tuesday, Noiseux said he will be thinking of that moment as he celebrates Canada on Parliament Hill, his first time being in the capital for July 1. Vance and Hall also plan to attend local celebrations.

"It's a tradition we always take part in," Hall said.

We want to know when #CanadaClicked for you, so share your story via our simple web form.