HALIFAX—A group of newcomers was sworn in as Canadian citizens Thursday in Halifax, with one family having chosen Canada over the U.S. after trying both on their emigration from India.

At the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 — the seaport-turned-museum that welcomed around one million immigrants to Canada between 1928 and 1971 — 147 newcomers stood and took an oath Thursday morning to become Canadian citizens.

Among those new Canadians were Charles Govindaswamy and Poornima Lokaraju, a young couple from Chennai, India, who have lived in Halifax for the last five years.

“I feel so proud of being a Canadian,” Lokaraju said after the ceremony.

Govindaswamy said it felt wonderful to be naturalized into a country that “supports unity and diversity, and (treats) everybody equally.”

Five-year-old Neha Charles joined her parents at the ceremony and took the oath alongside them. She was born in the U.S., where Govindaswamy and Lokaraju lived before moving to Canada. The primary grade student — who said she wasn’t really sure what the ceremony meant, aside from a morning away from school — is now a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada.

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Govindaswamy, who works as a software developer, said his work visa was due to expire after living for five years in the U.S. and knowing the immigration process in that country to be arduous, he felt he had no other choice but to take his family elsewhere. They could have returned to India, but he and Lokaraju opted to try Canada — a country where they knew nobody, but saw opportunity.

Halifax was their first stop, and Govindaswamy said he and his wife were surprised to discover how much they liked the Maritimes. Despite more stable job opportunities in Toronto, he said he wants to grow his family in Halifax, a city to which he’s found a “strong connection.”

“This is the Canada we know,” he said. “We are more comfortable here (and) we’re going to live here.”

The couple also has a four-year-old daughter, Raksha Charles, who was not at the ceremony because she was born into Canadian citizenship, and another baby on the way.

Their plan to put roots down in Halifax was precisely what MLA Lena Diab said she hoped for. The immigration minister spoke at Thursday’s ceremony, expressing her desire for Canadian newcomers who land in Nova Scotia to remain in the province.

“I hope you choose Nova Scotia to stay, and make Nova Scotia your home,” she told the citizenship candidates.

Those words from Govindaswamy and Diab came on the same day that a Saint Mary’s University professor gave a presentation on how to retain more immigrants to Nova Scotia.

Ather Akbari said the key to greater immigrant retention is greater economic opportunity, but it also depends on factors like community and lifestyle.

Those latter factors seemed to be of greater importance to the young couple from India, as well as for Sherrian Garcia, who moved to Halifax from Jamaica six years ago. She also received her citizenship certificate Thursday.

Garcia didn’t know a soul in Halifax when she moved here, but now she said she couldn’t imagine leaving, because of the community she’s found.

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“I have no choice but to stay (in Halifax) because all of my friends — who have become family — are here. They anchor me here ... I’m happy here,” said Garcia.

Of course, there are challenges to establishing oneself in a new country and a new culture. Diab and fellow speaker Councillor Waye Mason, deputy mayor of Halifax, both mentioned the strife faced by immigrants who come from war-torn countries, or don’t speak Canada’s languages.

For Govindaswamy and Lokaraju, their immigration included some emotional turmoil.

Since India doesn’t allow for dual citizenship, Govindaswamy and Lokaraju had to give up their Indian citizenship in order to become Canadians. It was a difficult decision, Govindaswamy said, renouncing their claim to their home country’s culture and heritage. What helped, he said, was Canada’s acceptance and celebration of diversity. The Trudeau government’s adoption in 2016 of Tamil Heritage Month, for instance, made him feel welcome and appreciated; Tamil is Govindaswamy’s and Lokaraju’s native language.

Now, having lived in the U.S. and Canada for five years apiece, Govindaswamy said he’s glad he and his family made the choice to settle here.

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He continues to follow American news and politics, and said he’s disappointed with the trade war that has broken out between his old home, the U.S., and his new one, Canada.

“I have been following Trump for a while and it’s kind of unfortunate that this situation (arose),” he said, referring to the steel tariffs that the U.S. imposed on Canada, and the retaliatory tariffs that Canada applied to dozens of U.S. imports.

He added that he thinks the tit-for-tat politics are negatively affecting the co-dependent countries, and he hopes the situation will be resolved soon.

“Somehow we have to agree upon a few things,” he said. “I hope after Trump this is gonna be much easier.”

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