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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2005-05 > 1115320585
From: "Turenne" <>
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Citizenship of War Brides and Children Confirmed!
Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 14:16:25 -0500
References: <BAY103-F29893A99B7B67B52E84716BA1A0@phx.gbl>
Congratulations Melynda, work well done !
Kathy Lintott Turenne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Melynda Jarratt" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 11:28 AM
Subject: [WarBrides] Citizenship of War Brides and Children Confirmed!
>
> For Immediate Release May 5, 2005
>
> Citizenship of War Brides and Children Confirmed!
> _________________________________________
>
> The Registrar of Citizenship for the Government of Canada confirmed in
> Ottawa yesterday that there is no question: War Brides and their children
> are Canadian citizens.
>
> Ms. Patricia Birkett met with Melynda Jarratt, a Fredericton, New
> Brunswick based historian who raised the issue of War Bride's citizenship
> status two weeks ago when she appeared before the House of Commons
> Citizenship and Immigration Committee. Ms. Jarratt told the Committee that
> the children of War Brides who had been brought to this country at the end
> of World War Two were being confronted with a bureaucratic nightmare when
> they applied for passports and that many had even been told they were not
> citizens. War Brides were also expressing anger that they too, had been
> forced to apply for citizenship in the past when they applied for
> passports to travel overseas. In her testimony, Ms. Jarratt explained
> that the issue was especially problematic for the children of War Brides
> who were born in the UK and Europe as they are now fast approaching
> retirement age and are making plans for their old Old Age Pension. Others
> may be applying for a passport for the first time in their lives.
>
> Ms. Jarratt flew to Ottawa Wednesday where she met with Ms. Birkett,
> Stephen Heckbert, Communications Director for Citizenship and Immigration
> Minister Joe Volpe, and John Delacourt, Legislative Assistant to the
> Minister. The issue has received considerable media attention because of
> the 60th anniversary celebrations of VE-Day and the impending release of a
> War Bride Commemorative envelope by Canada Post.
>
> Jarratt said she's never received so much correspondence on her website
> www.CanadianWarBrides.com since it was launched five years ago. "It's been
> somewhat overwhelming," she said, "but I am glad that we were able to make
> such headway on this issue. It shows that things can move quickly on
> Parliament Hill and in Citizenship and Immigration if it's important
> enough to Canadians, and this issue certainly was."
>
> The War Brides citizenship issue has received all-party support from the
> House of Commons Citizenship and Immigration Committee, chaired by
> Kitchener-Waterloo Member of Parliament Andrew Telegdi. "There was never
> any question in the Committee's mind that War Brides and the children they
> brought with them to Canada at the end of WWII were citizens," said
> Telegdi. "That commitment was made in WWII and it will be honoured."
>
> News of the development was greeted with optimism by Mrs. Doris Lloyd, a
> British War Bride from Plaster Rock, New Brunswick. Doris and her
> daughter, Ann, came to Canada on the Ile de France on November 28, 1944.
> After living in Canada for twenty years - and voting in elections - Mrs.
> Lloyd made an application for a passport in 1964 and was shocked to find
> out that she was not a Canadian citizen. Her daughter Ann, as well, always
> assumed she was a citizen: she was educated in Canada, worked, paid taxes,
> voted and even held a Canadian passport in 1967. But recent attempts to
> obtain a passport ended in frustration.
>
> Mrs. Lloyd said she's extremely happy to hear that this issue has finally
> been settled once and for all. "I'm over the moon" she said from her home
> in Plaster Rock where she has lived for 61 years. "It's great news for
> war brides all across Canada, really and truly. I called my daughter and
> she is just delighted to have it confirmed at the highest levels that War
> Brides and their Children are Canadian citizens."
>
> Ms. Jarratt cautioned that this development does not remove the
> requirement for paperwork, however: to prevent identity theft and to
> ensure that only those entitled receive a certificate of citizenship,
> applicants for a citizenship card will still have to provide supporting
> documents. Jarratt said Ms. Birkett promised that applications annotated
> "War Bride" on the envelope or on the application itself will receive
> special consideration. She also advised that her department will put a War
> Bride link on its website and that its call centre staff will be briefed.
>
> Ms. Birkett told Jarratt that a major factor in the delay in issuing
> certificates has been the ballooning demand for citizenship certificates,
> which rose markedly after 911. In the last year, demand has shot up 60%
> and while new staff has been hired and trained at the Sydney, Nova Scotia
> processing centre, they are still experiencing delays.
>
> - 30 -
>
> For further information, contact:
>
> Melynda Jarratt
>
> In Fredericton: 506-455-3568
> In Ottawa (to May 7) 613-749-5569
>
>
>
> 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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