Rohit Gupta shed a tear Thursday morning as he took an oath as one of the newest citizens of Canada.
It was the last step Gupta, his wife and his oldest daughter had to take to become legal citizens of Canada. They were among the 49 people sworn in as new Canadian citizens during one of about 75 ceremonies happening across Canada.
“It's a special day,” said Gupta, originally from India. “I get a paper today telling me I'm Canadian, but I've never felt I wasn't Canadian since the first day I landed here 13 years ago. People are so welcoming here, and it's always felt like home. This just completes the circle for me.”
Gupta came to Ontario to train in the surgical field.
“The plan was to come here, get the training, then go back,” he said. “I never went back.”
He's now working as a surgeon.
His wife is a family physician, and together they have two daughters. His youngest daughter was born in Canada.
Nosheen Warsi, acting national program manager, Building Citizenship with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, said it was a day to celebrate.
“It's a day we want them to remember,” Warsi said.
The ceremony was preceded by a round-table session where all of the new Canadian citizens are able to share stories about about their journeys, what they are doing now, and what it means to them to be Canadian citizens.
“There are tears, and there is laughter,” she said. “We hear so many stories. For instance, today we heard about people who are now able to let their children play outside without fear of them being shot. These are the stories that really touch your heart.”
