After living apart from her husband for more than five years, Bernadette Osabel-Alamer came from the Philippines to Canada on August 21st, 2009. Her goal was to build a new life together with her husband in Canada.
As part of building that new life, Bernadette became a Canadian citizen on October 30th, 2013. She said that although the process of becoming a citizen has its ups and down, it is an achievement that she is proud of. She truly believes that being a Canadian citizen is a privilege, and that each new citizen should take care of this privilege and “live a good life.”
After becoming a Canadian citizen, Bernadette got her CAP card and started exploring not only local communities in Mississauga and Brampton, but also the city of Toronto and more. One of her favourite things to do is “nature-tripping”; Bernadette and her husband enjoy visiting green spaces like parks in her area, national parks and Niagara Falls. Her and her husband also took advantage of her free admission to the Royal Ontario Museum and brought along guests who had traveled all the way from the Philippines.
Although her CAP card has now expired, Bernadette and her husband continue to explore Canada. They recently visited Ottawa to explore more parks and museums, and their goal is to travel to all the famous landmarks in Canada such as Banff National Park in Alberta and Granville Island in British Columbia, as well as the East Coast.
In regards to what being a Canadian citizen means to her personally, Bernadette said, “Being a Canadian [means] I am home.”
View the CAP August Newsletter where this article first appeared.
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This year, hundreds of new Canadian citizens will once again experience The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth! thanks to a generous gift from the Calgary Stampede. This year’s special offer gives 500 Cultural Access Pass (CAP) members a pair of free gate passes to the ten-day celebration of western heritage, culture, and community spirit.
CAP members and their guests will experience the thrilling action of the rodeo, the thunder of the GMC Rangeland Derby, exciting midway rides, nightly fireworks, and live music.
“Calgary Stampede is an important Canadian cultural event,” said Yasmine Mohamed, Manager of the ICC’s Cultural Access Pass. “We’re thrilled that the Stampede continues to welcome new Canadian citizens and create opportunities for them to celebrate with their friends and community.”
“We are pleased to continue to support the Cultural Access Pass program and welcome new Canadians to Stampede,” said Larry Lalonde, group manager, Community Engagement & Communications. “We want everyone to be able to participate in our community celebration.” Calgary Stampede runs from July 7-16, 2017. For more information visit www.calgarystampede.com.
The only program of its kind in the world, the ICC’s Cultural Access Pass gives new Canadian citizens the chance to explore, travel, and discover Canada during their first year of citizenship. The program depends entirely on a network of dedicated partners and supporters. For more information, visit culturalaccesspass.ca.
