With the new law, Bill C-3 in Canada, I have been digging through my family history and learning more about my ancestry roots. Assuming I can verify via documentation, it's quite clear that I am solidly a "Lost Canadian" and will qualify to be recognized as being a Canadian citizen once I submit the paperwork. It's been a fun process so far. I find it funny that my grandfather's names all seem so plain, but they married women with beautiful, sometimes elaborate names.
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and the number of kids they had! My Great x4 grandparents had 15 kids!
Looking at their names, over half of their daughters had Marie/Mary as their first name. I thought "that can't be right".
Turns out it was common practice in Quebec (Catholics), though they didn't go by their first name, but rather one of their middle names.
The same sort of thing often happens with men in the area at that time, with "Joseph".
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Looking back through my family history, I'm gaining a new appreciation for where I came from, and how this chained link brings me all the way back to Quebec.
The effort it's taken me to track down some of this info has made me feel more connected, and more proud of my family and ancestry. I'm admittedly looking into it now for selfish reasons, and it makes me feel indebted to them, for this opportunity to be recognized as a Canadian citizen...
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I don't want this to just be a chance to get a Canadian passport. I want to spend more time learning about my family history and really understand how I got to where I am now through where we all came from.
And more of that will come as I apply and get those official documents to prove it.
I just am reflecting a lot about it, and I have to admit it feels relieving, to be able to say something other than "I am American."
I want to have pride in what I am and where I'm from.
Chris Ferguson