The whole community celebrates Twinamatsiko family citizenship

Monday, Aug. 26 was a big day in Pennfield, where upwards of 100 people crammed into Christ Church to witness the citizenship ceremony of the Twinamatsiko family.

The ceremony is often held via Zoom to include prospective citizens across Canada. This one lasted three hours, and saw 184 people from 46 countries take the oath. But everyone was good about staying for the entire thing— and remaining quiet, as were the instructions.

On that day, the Rev. Caleb, his wife Hope Asiimwe, and their children, Trust and Treasure, became citizens of Canada, six-and-a-half years after arriving in the Parish of Pennfield, where Caleb is the rector. 

The family is from Uganda, where Caleb was the headmaster of Bishop McAllister College, which is run by former New Brunswick priest Canon Paul Jeffries. 

Those in attendance included parishioners, friends, work colleagues of Hope’s, Tim Horton’s buddies, and members of the greater community, including the mayor and the MLA. The church was decorated and refreshments were served as the ceremony wrapped up.

In the early days of life in Canada, Caleb was not at all sure he’d made the right decision, but all these years later, he is content.

Certainly Canada has given his family a wealth of opportunities, but he pointed to the many people who witnessed the ceremony as an example of his love for this country.

“It’s the people,” he said. 

PHOTO CAPTION:
The mayor and the MLA were among the 100 people who joined the Twinamatsiko family Aug. 26 for their citizenship ceremony. From left: Municipality of Eastern Charlotte Mayor John Craig, Caleb, Trust, Treasure, Hope, and MLA Andrea Anderson Mason.
Tony Munn photo