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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2005-05 > 1115462469


From: "Susan Willis" <>
Subject: RE: [WarBrides] Citizenship of War Brides and Children Confirmed!
Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 10:41:09 +0000
In-Reply-To: <BAY103-F29893A99B7B67B52E84716BA1A0@phx.gbl>


Melynda,

Congratulations on your victory on behalf of war brides and their children!
Your never ending dedication and hard work is once again all worth it for so
many.

Your friend,
Susan Willis

>From: "Melynda Jarratt" <>
>Reply-To:
>To:
>Subject: [WarBrides] Citizenship of War Brides and Children Confirmed!
>Date: Thu, 05 May 2005 13:28:32 -0300
>
>
>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 Brides 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 shes never received so much correspondence on her website
>www.CanadianWarBrides.com since it was launched five years ago. Its 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 its 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 Committees 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 shes extremely happy to hear that this issue has finally
>been settled once and for all. Im over the moon she said from her home
>in Plaster Rock where she has lived for 61 years. Its 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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>==== WARBRIDES Mailing List ====
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