Nick Noorani Website

By the time you read this, I, along with my family, will have been sworn in on Canada Day as Canadian citizens. A journey that started nine years ago has intensified my love affair with Canada and its people.
I was especially honoured to be asked by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to say a few words at the ceremony because of my role with this magazine. I will share with you what I told my fellow new citizens that day:

“To me becoming a Canadian citizen means a transition to a new chapter in my life, which is timely since it also comes ten days after my 50th birthday.
Canada is the fourth country we have lived in and I can say without hesitation that this is the final step in the journey of the Noorani family. When we landed in Vancouver nine years ago, like most immigrants we were filled with both excitement and fear. Excitement about living in this — the most beautiful country in the world — and fear of the unknown — the future.
So why did we wait nine years to become citizens?
Simple — we now feel Canadian! In what we do, in the way we speak and in our actions. Also, we wanted to feel we had ‘earned’ the right to citizenship. By giving back to Canada, we feel we have earned our Canadian citizenship.
Sabrina and I continue to give back to our adopted country by working with immigrants on a daily basis. Our citizenship will not make a difference except when we travel — we will proudly carry our Canadian passport and be ambassadors to the best country in the world.”