After nearly two decades in Canada, a Gimli mother and daughter celebrated a milestone moment as they officially became Canadian citizens.
Tina Leath had called Canada home for almost 20 years, moving from England after her now ex-husband took a trucking job in Alberta. She said her first impressions of the country remained vivid.
“I remember how friendly everyone was — and just how big the place felt,” she recalled.
Following a divorce, Tina settled in Gimli in 2007, where she raised her daughter Erin as a single mother.
“I thought it would be a safe place to bring up my daughter,” she said.
Erin had been only seven years old when the family arrived, but she adapted quickly.
“She was immersed into the Canadian way of life through school and making friends and lost her British accent pretty quickly,” Tina said. “We are very close, and I think she is quite proud of me, really.”
Over the years, Tina said both she and her daughter embraced Canada’s outdoors and four seasons.
“I have always loved the outdoors and enjoyed walking and hiking,” she said. “I spent a lot of time walking my dog Patches and taking photos of our beautiful area.”
While settling in had been made easier by her upbringing — she grew up moving frequently with her father’s service in the Royal Air Force and later joined the RAF herself at 18 — she admitted one challenge remained.
“The biggest challenge really is missing family back home,” she said.
Tina and Erin gathered in Winnipeg for their long-awaited citizenship ceremony, and Tina said she felt emotional when she recited the oath.
“The actual oath is very similar to the one I made when I joined the Royal Air Force in 1987, so it is very meaningful to me,” she said.
To capture her feelings about becoming Canadian, Tina turned to poetry — something she had always used for self-expression. Her poem “Am I Canadian Now?” highlighted the landscapes, traditions and spirit she and her daughter embraced, from campfires and winter sports to the northern lights and hockey.
“With poetry, it was just a natural reaction to how I was feeling,” she explained.
Her words — and her poem — were read when she took the Oath of Citizenship, marking the end of one chapter and the start of another.
Am I Canadian Now?
By Tina Leath
Beautiful wide-open spaces
Smiling, ever friendly faces,
A unique and diverse place to be
That’s become home for my daughter and me
Camp fires and eating smores
Blue lakes and rocky shores
Winter sports, snow shoeing and skiing
Staying up late for Aurora sightseeing
Wildlife and birds galore
A photographer’s dream, that’s for sure
Scenery to take your breath away,
The best in the world, some might say
Cheering loud for our favourite team
“Go Jets Go” in unison we scream
The nation’s pride is always on show
Canadian fans, amongst the best, don’t you know
All four seasons in one day
If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute EH
Toque, double double, Loonie, poutine
I’m Canadian now, I know what they mean
Beautiful wide-open spaces
Smiling ever friendly faces
A unique and diverse place to be
That’s become home for my daughter and me
