Canadian War Bride Citizenship problems, passports, identity

Home > Citizenship Troubles > Testimonials > S.L. War Bride Daughter

I too am the daughter of a Canadian soldier (RCAF Flt.Lieutenant) and an Irish War Bride. My mother was born and raised in Ireland but worked as a nurse in East Grinstead, Sussex, England, before and during the war. My father was the only survivor of a mid-air plane crash and was fished out of the sea with extensive burns over his entire body. He was hospitalized and treated for his burns in the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. My mother worked there as a Nursing Sister, on the burn unit established by Sir Archibald McIndoe, a New Zealand-born plastic surgeon who had established a Plastic and Jaw Surgery unit there in 1939. McIndoe was well known for the famous Guinea Pig Club, of which my father was a member.

In September, 1946, my mother and I came to Halifax on the Letitia. We then travelled to our new home in Western Canada, where my father was waiting for us. Two sisters were born here in Canada. My mother died of cancer in 1963 and my father of a heart attack in 1977. Needless to say there is so much information that I don't have, because as a young child you never think of the things to ask that you want to know as an adult.

Through circumstance too complicated to discuss in an e-mail, all of the immigration information that my Mother had was destroyed soon after her death. This year I was offered a gift of a trip to England and Ireland by a special friend (a Dutch Warbride). I have never been back to England nor had my Mom. This lady wants me to see where I was born and meet my remaining family. I was obviously ecstatic and thinking all these years that as "a naturalized citizen" a term my Mom always used, that this guaranteed me a Canadian Passport. I gathered all my documentation for my Passport application - luckily didn't book my flights - and went to the Passport Office only to be declined and told that I am not a Canadian Citizen.

I have just finished gathering all the documentation I require to apply for my Canadian Citizenship status, this was very difficult because both parents are dead and I had to do a lot of searching to get some of the documents. I have been told that it could take 9 months to a year before I might get the Canadian status.

I am very anxious to follow the progress of Andrew Telegdi's recommendation to declare that we are all Canadian Citizens. I have considered getting a British Passport but my children are terrified that I might leave the country and another incident such as 911 occurs and I couldn't get back into Canada.

Thank you for all your work on our behalf and for your presentation to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Imigration. If you have any words of encouragement or advice I would welcome them. Thank you again.

SL, May 2, 2005

Other things you can do RIGHT NOW!

Phone MP Andrew Telegdi, Chair of the Commons Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. http://www.telegdi.org/coordnts.htm
Phone and Write Helene Guergis http://www.helenaguergis.com/
Phone and write your MP
Phone and write the Senator who represents your area
Phone and write the Prime Minister