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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, May 16,, 1995 - 3 ~ COMMUNITY oo New Canadians welcomed at ceremony By David Stell Port Perry Star "1 proclaim that you are citizens of Canada." : Judge Walter Borosa has used that phrase many times. The words might be taken for granted by most Canadians, but they represented the cul- mination of a dream to 30 new citizens sworn in at a special ceremony at Port Perry High Sheol last Wednesday (May Families from as far away as Northern Ireland, Zambia 'and Lebanon took the oath of "Canadian citizenship last week. It was the first time the ceremony has ever been held here in Port Perry. Judge Borosa presided over the ceremony with the dignity that the occasion called for while adding touches of humor that kept everyone smiling and at ease. He told the new Canadians that the oath of citizenship they were about to take should not to be taken lightly. He also told them that they had reached a priceless milestone. "There is no greater gift a country can give than its citi- zenship," Judge Borosa said. "You cannot go to Knob Hill " Farms and. ask Steve Stavro for two litres of Canadian citi- zenship. "Canadian citizenship is not for sale." T soss WORDS RANG true for the Dalal family from Zambia, Africa. Mahomed and Khabija Dalal brought their four children to Canada nearly four years ago in July of 1991. "We actually came here because it is the land of oppor- tunity," Mahomed said. "It's a very good country and there (are) a lot of opportunities for our kids and us." The Dalal family from Zambia proudly display their citizen- DAVID STELL/ PORT PERRY STAR ship awards after taking the oath of Canadian citizenship at Port Perry High School last Wednesday (May 17). Racial tensions run high in Zambia, Mahomed said, describing the more tolerant Canada as a refreshing change. He is looking forward to being a positive addition to his new country in the future. "I'm really glad and I'm real- ly happy to be in this country," he said. We look forward to becoming citizens and con- tributing towards this country in the years to come, and the same for our kids also." Mr. Dalal works for Adventure Electronics; he and his family live in Whitby. Mrs. Dalal said that moving to Canada was a big change, but she has enjoyed it and she and her family are settling in now. "The winters have been hard 1] stolen by thieves. and other activities. weekend. home," said Mr. Utnans. An auction is planned this Saturday to help raise funds for the Community Nursing Home and Villa residents, whose activity fund was Peter Utnans of My Mother In Law's Store and Scott Wilson of Scooter's in Port Perry are planning the auction to help replace the fund, used by seniors at the home for trips The money, proceeds from the home's annual bazaar, was stolen during a break-in last "Everything's going to go to the nursing - Scugog pitching in to heal the hurt Auction to replace funds On the block will be items donated by local merchants, who have come through to help * the residents over their loss, said Mr. Utnans?._ "We've approached a lot of the merchants in 985-1950. towns, and everybody is helping out. 'More donations would make for an even better auction, he added. If you've got items you can donate, call Mr. Wilson at Scooter's at The sale is set to take place at 1 p.m. Saturday (May 20) at My Mother In Law's Store. In addition, cash donations are being accepted at the Port Perry Star office on Mary St. LE BE EE EE JE » =v - v reer 1) Dd dbo DD DDD DDD DDD ADI DIDI DID a , ' Letters? ...Fax 'em! 985-370 vr» ry yeoeerveeorerreyerrevreery AA >P * ve - RESUS AA Man an se an ou aa ro Ter ) - Ram aw . A.A. D RJ Pr because Zambia is a tropical country," Mrs. Dalal said. "But the kids have enjoyed meeting people and getting used to the weather." A NoTHER FAMILY sworn.in at the ceremony were the Croziers, from Northern Ireland. They now live in Claremont. Robert Crozier and his wife Hazel came to Canada in 1987 to find a better life. But more important, they wanted to give ~ their four children a future. "They'll get more opportuni- ties here than they would back home in Ireland," Mr. Crozier said. "We have a little guy that was born here, so this makes us all Canadians now," he added. has his own business and enjoys living in a rural com- munity like<Claremont. He says it reminds him of where he came from in Ireland, and it's quiet and peaceful. Mrs. Crozier was nervous before the ceremony, but excit- ed at the same time. She was surprised at how much she had learned while preparing for the citizenship exam. "I probably know more about Canadian history at the moment than I do about my own country," she said. Lizean ON IS A long way from Canada, but the distance didn't stop the Mikaelian fami- ly from leaving behind linger- ing war for the freedom and peace of Canada. Leon and Nayiri Mikaelian' and their three children have been in Canada for almost seven years now. They left to avoid the threat of war and violence that has existed for so long-in their homeland. "We came from a country Police make arrest in bazaar break-in An arrest has been made in connection with the theft of residents' activity money from Community Nursing Home in Port Perry. Durham Regional Police said Monday morning they had arrested and charged a 21- year-old Scugog Island man with theft and possession of stolen property in connection with the break-in at the Simcoe St. residence. Last Sunday night someone entered an office through a window and opened a safe, then made off with a substan- tial amount of cash. Residents and staff raised the money at their annual Spring bazaar. HBhE THRE MhE 10H The electrical contractor - bo oro' dpipea So BOTY y which. we had war and not peace," Mrs. Mikaelian said. "So we enjoy every minute here." : The family lives in North York right now, and the drive to Port Perry was fun for the | kids. | "I like the farm country and the farm life," 14 year-old "Taline said. . | The family had been staying | in Canada on a special visa up | until their citizenship applica- | tion was finalized. They were | told that their papers in Lebanon had been lost, and that the process was delayed. * But Wednesday's ceremony - made it official, and now their future as Canadians stretches before them. | : P ETER AND MAY VanDen Tweel have been wait- ing a great deal longer for their citizenship. In fact, Peter has been in Canada longer than the time he spent in his his "homeland, Holland. The retired couple from Myrtle Station have been living in Canada for 41 years now. Up until recently, they have been too busy to pursue citi- zenship. "We raised five children," Mr. VanDen Tweel said. "Now we've got more time and a little more money." He has enjoyed living in Canada over the years, and has spent most of his life living in and around Durham Region. Mrs. VanDen Tweel says that she met her husband here in Canada and that she is orig- inally from England. She came over with her father 40 years ago and met her husband at a Polish dance. "The country has been good to me, and I've been good to the country," said Peter VanDen Tweel. : The amount of money stolen during the break-in has not been disclosed. The same suspect arrested for the nursing home robbery was also charged with arson | and damage to property after a car was stolen in the View Lake area last weekend, then set ablaze and left on Old: Simcoe Rd. north of the Port police station. g ' The man has also been charged in connection with | another recent break, enter ' and theft, police said. i The 21-year-old, arrested : Monday morning, was to! paay. TNE