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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2005-04 > 1114148271


From: Gwen Zradicka <>
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 22:37:51 -0700
References: <BAY103-F32D25A06C61E7891221A9ABA2C0@phx.gbl>


Hi! Melynda. I was given to understand that my son, who was 9 months old
when we came over in 1944, was indeed a Canadian citizen, by virtue of his
father being Canadian!! He has never applied for a passport, so who knows
the answer?? If we were to enquire, we would probably get the same answer as
Eswyn Lyster!! The bureaucracy surrounding this is indeed ridiculous!!
However, I'm now happy to be Canadian, although part of me is still very
loyal to Jolly Old England!!!

Gwen Zradicka.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Melynda Jarratt" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada


> Hi Gwen, that's truly unbelievable, but not surprising given the fact that
> upon your arrival in Canada you were a "Landed Immigrant", not a Citizen.
> There is a lot of confusion about the status of War Brides upon their
> arrival in Canada. Did they, in fact, inherit their husband's citizenship
> by virtue of their marriage overseas? Certainly, most War Brides thought
> they did. Or did the War Brides and their children come as Landed
> Immigrants with the expectation that later, they would apply for
> citizenship? It's the 64,000 dollar question. Eswyn Lyster, a war bride
> and writer, has written to the authorities and has asked the question
> "What is the status of Canadian War Brides? Citizens, or Landed
> Immigrants?". The answer? "We cannot provide you with that information
> because of the Privacy Act!!!" Have you ever heard of anything so
> ridiculous? That's the bureaucracy for you!
>
> What is most worrisome, however, is the status of the children of War
> Brides who came to Canada with their mothers on the War Bride ships. What
> is the childrens' status? The anecdotal evidence I have come across over
> the years is that they too were Landed Immigrants, not citizens. While
> most of these children and their mothers have lived here in Canada for the
> past 60 years and sailed through life here uninterrupted, it's only when
> they start asking for passports or some other documents that require proof
> of citizenship that trouble surfaces, as we have seen in so many cases of
> children who are trying to get their passports and are told they have to
> prove they are citizens. And it seems to be getting worse since 9/11 with
> heightened fears of security threats.
>
> I am only making an educated guess here, but it seems that most many war
> brides, when faced with the issue of citizenship over the years, dealt
> with it, like yourself. If they wanted to go visit their family overseas
> in the 1940's, 50's, 60s or 70s. They dealt with the bureaucracy, filled
> out the papers and acquired their citizenship, quietly all across the
> country. In 1977, there were changes to the Act and many War Brides were
> made aware that they could apply for their citizenship and many did. But I
> would be interested to know how many War Brides have never heard about
> the 1977 changes to the Immigration Act, and who ever applied for a
> passport or required any documentation related to their citizenship and
> what would happen if they tried to get a passport today? I guess the proof
> of the pudding will be in the eating, as they say. My educated guess is
> that they would be told to prove their citizenship.
>
> I'm interested to know if there are any other war brides out there - or
> their children - who can share their experiences on this issue.
>
>
> Melynda Jarratt, BA, MA (History)
> Diploma in Digital Media and Design
> Webmaster: http://www.canadianwarbrides.com and
> http://www.project-roots.com
> Voices of the Left Behind: Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of
> World War Two is available in English at
> http://www.project-roots.com/books.html and in Dutch at
> http://www.uitgeverijpica.nl/index.html?page=achterbleven
>
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Gwen Zradicka <>
> Reply-To:
> To:
> Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada
> Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:47:56 -0700
>
> When I applied for a passport in 1969, I was informed that I was NOT a
> Canadian citizen!! My husband and I had divorced in 1965 and I had
> remarried. My 2nd husband was Canadian born, so you can imagine my horror
> to discover that I was indeed not a Canadian!!
>
> I had to go through the steps to become a citizen before they would issue
> a passport to me!! We were citizens as long as we remained married to our
> original spouses, but should one have been widowed or divorced, apparently
> you immediately became stateless!! A BIG surprise as we were never told!!
>
> Gwen
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Olive" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 1:42 PM
> Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada
>
>
>>I have never had any problems with passports.
>>I sent away for Citizenship proof in the 1950's.
>>They sent me a certificate to frame and a paper to use for passport
>>services.
>>It's my understanding we were all made Citizens on 1 January,1947.
>>Olive King
>>
>>-------Original Message-------
>>
>>From:
>>Date: April 21, 2005 12:45:44 PM
>>To:
>>Subject: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada
>>
>>This just hot off the presses....
>>Melynda
>>_______________
>>
>>
>>April 21, 2005 - 13:07
>>
>>War brides spokeswoman complains to committee about citizenship status
>>
>>FREDERICTON (CP) - Thousands of war brides and their children are
>>discovering they are not Canadian citizens even though some had assumed
>>otherwise while living in Canada for 60 years, a Commons committee was
>>told
>>Thursday.
>>
>>Melynda Jarratt, an author and researcher, told the committee that the
>>federal government created a bureaucratic nightmare in 1944 by declaring
>>them landed immigrants instead of citizens. She said many of these women
>>and
>>
>>their children were unaware of their status until now.
>>
>>
>>Some made the discovery when they applied for passports.
>>
>>"You've paid your taxes, you have a social insurance number, you've worked
>>here and lived here all your life, but you're not a citizen," she told the
>>committee.
>>
>>"Who made the decision that they were no longer citizens and suddenly
>>became
>>
>>landed immigrants, and how come they've never been told about what their
>>rights are?"
>>
>>Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi, chairman the Standing Committee on Citizenship
>>and Immigration, said he understood the frustration of people who suddenly
>>find themselves without the rights and privileges of full citizenship
>>through no fault of their own.
>>
>>"It's a real horror story," said Telegdi. "It's a horrific feeling because
>>all of a sudden you become stateless."
>>
>>Telegdi said the committee will recommend the government should declare
>>the
>>war brides and their children citizens, and he's hoping the issue can be
>>resolved by this fall.
>>
>>
>>
>>Melynda Jarratt, BA, MA (History)
>>Diploma in Digital Media and Design
>>Webmaster: http://www.canadianwarbrides.com and
>>http://www.project-roots.com
>>Voices of the Left Behind: Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of
>>World War Two is available in English at
>>http://www.project-roots.com/books.html and in Dutch at
>>http://www.uitgeverijpica.nl/index.html?page=achterbleven
>>
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