Yesterday, we continued our partnership with Luminato, and came together for the fourth year to once again celebrate citizenship, community, and culture by hosting a community citizenship ceremony as part of the 2017 festival. This year’s ceremony took place in the famous Spiegeltent in David Pecaut Square in downtown Toronto, a stunning venue to celebrate 29 new Canadian citizens!

Steve Paikin (from TVO’s The Agenda) presided over the ceremony that included traditional Indigenous dancers Leanne Enoose and her daughter Alexandria, as well as Maryem and Ernie Tollar who beautifully performed O Canada and gave a moving performance following the ceremony into the reception.

We had the privilege to hear several remarkable Canadians share their own personal stories of immigration; CBC’s Marivel Taruc who spoke of her journey to Canada from the Philippines 37 years ago and experiencing her first Canadian winter. As well as sharing stories we also heard many congratulations from notable speakers that included MPP Cheri DiNovo who welcomed 29 new citizens to “the Canadian family”. Luminato’s CEO Anthony Sargent remarked, “You’ve been engaged to Canada for several years. Today is the wedding!”, likening the significance of a citizenship ceremony to that of a wedding.

Overall, it was a joyous day of celebrating all that we most value as Canadians, with incredible performances, moving speeches, and a strong sense of community. Steve Paikin put it simply, “We have 29 new Canadian citizens now. Brilliant!”

ICC Community Citizenship Ceremony in partnership with Luminato Festival
June 20th, 2017 – The Famous Spiegeltent in David Pecaut Square, Toronto ON
Photos: ICC/Alyssa K. Faoro

Click here for more photos.

For more information on partnering with the ICC to host a community citizenship ceremony, email us: ceremonypartnerships@inclusion.ca