While July 1 may mean just a day off for most Canadians, Lynsey and Phillip Mincher were celebrating Canada’s 142nd birthday by becoming Canadian citizens.
The Minchers, along with 56 others, were sworn in at the citizenship ceremony at Princes Island Park yesterday.
“When we moved here we knew we wanted to stay here,” said Phillip. “We have a little girl who is a Canadian citizen, so it seemed like the right thing to do.” Their daughter Charlotte is two years old and another baby is on the way in the next couple of months.
The Minchers came to Canada from northern England four-and-a-half years ago.
Lynsey said that England had become too heavily populated and that they had spent all their vacations in North America.
They chose Canada because it had the same values as they do and had everything they wanted in a country.
They appreciated Canada because of its friendly people, mountains, outdoor life, low crime rates, skiing and good weather.
“We love Calgary and Canada,” said Lynsey. “We wanted to be here, raise our family here and live till we grow old and die.”
The Minchers had to live in Canada for three years before applying for citizenship. They took the entrance exam about a month ago, which consisted of 20 questions about Canadian history.
“It was good because it made you understand the country that you are trying to live in,” said Lynsey.
