New Canadian citizens take oath in Edmonton’s naval reserves

68 people from 29 countries attended the citizenship ceremony at HMCS Nonsuch in Edmonton on Nov. 6, 2025. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)

Some of the newest Canadian citizens got a chance to observe Veterans Week as they were sworn in on Thursday.

Edmonton’s HMCS Nonsuch, a naval reserve division, hosted 68 candidates from 29 different countries as they took their oaths for permanent citizenship.

Judge James Clover, who presided over the ceremony, said the venue was a “wonderful” way to “show these new Canadians the beauty and the strength of the Canadian Navy.”

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“When this opportunity came up to bring them here, we thought this would be a great way to bridge between our service people and our new Canadians,” he said on Thursday.

Speakers before the crowd as each new citizen waited to take their oath spoke of the analogy of the Nonsuch unit, which was originally met with skepticism when it was first built in 1923. The reserve eventually overcame doubt in its ability to train recruits from western regions away from the sea.

Clover added the ceremony was the culmination of, for some people, years or decades of work.

“They share their stories with me, and I have to ask questions to understand their journey and thank them for their journey,” he said. “It’s not an easy one. It’s a lot of work to become a Canadian citizen. I’m very proud of them and the work they do.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Sean McClune