WARBRIDES-L Archives

Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2005-04 > 1114203517


From: "L. Granfield" <>
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 16:58:37 -0400
References: <BAY103-F30A63352A2065690042F37BA2D0@phx.gbl>


Hi Melynda,

Does this mean that all these 50-60 years, the war brides have been voting
in good faith as citizens of Canada, and technically, by government rulings,
were voting illegally as non-citizens? Incredible for no government
official/department to have noticed this and rectified things long ago!
(Aren't landed immigrants able to vote only in local elections, not
provincial or federal?)
The government has certainly benefitted from all these women and their
husbands have done as community-minded citizens all these years. I would
like to think that the government would go top-speed to issue proper
documentation/passports to all of these women (and husbands, as one of your
letters said.)
Linda G.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Melynda Jarratt" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:56 PM
Subject: RE: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada


> Hi Vernie, I guess it must have been insulting!! That's what gets me, they
> don't seem to care how important citizenship is to people and that telling
> people they are not Canadian is like saying you don't exist, you don't
> matter. We don't care! Citizenship is something we Canadians take very
> seriously, which is probably why so many people are trying to get into
this
> great country!
>
> Melynda
>
>
>
> 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: "Vernie Foy" <>
> Reply-To:
> To:
> Subject: RE: [WarBrides] Appearance before Citizenship Hearings in Canada
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 15:05:58 -0400
>
> It certainly was confusing. I understood when I came in 1946 that I
> automatically became a Canadian Citizen upon my marriage to a Canadian
> member of the forces. HOWEVER, IN 1969 WE WERE INFORMED THAT ANY PERSON
NOT
> BORN IN Canada must apply for Canadian Citizenship. The most insulting
part
> was that my husband, who had served overseas from1942 to 1946 was also not
> considered Canadian. He had come to this country when he was three years
> old having been born in Northern Ireland of Irish and Canadian parents.
It
> took some time to convince him that we must both go and take out our
> citizenships - which we did in 1970.
>
> Vernie M. Foy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Melynda Jarratt [mailto:]
> Sent: April 21, 2005 7:22 PM
> To:
> 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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