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r I the auditorium | at Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo Collegiate Institute [KC]| was transformed into a federal citizenship courtâ€" room last Wednesday, as 20 people, including six chilâ€" dren, received their Canadiâ€" an citizenship in a ceremoâ€" ny presided over by citizenâ€" ship Judge Robert Morrow. The new Canadians came from six different Jing Wen Chen, 11, is congratulated by RCMP Const. Murray Adair after receiving her citizenship papers at the Canadian citizenship last Wednesday. Westâ€"side property not included in regional strategy fter two public open AJhmlsefi. a formal pubâ€" ic meeting on withâ€" drawing the City Urban Area designation from the northâ€" west corner of the City of Waterloo will be held at regional council May 17. Unfortunately. the By Jenyirer HowbeNn For The Chrontcle Twenty people get citizenship at KCI ceremony By Bos VRrRANAc Chronicle Staff Proud to be Canadian countries including Pakâ€" istan, England, China, Romania. [ran and Colomâ€" bia. In front of their families. friends and about 350 KCI students, the candidates recited the oath of citizenâ€" ship, received their citizenâ€" ship documents and sang the national anthem for the first time as Canadians. Before the end of the cerâ€" emony, members of the audience, who were already citizens, were given the region‘s Greenlands Strategy doesn‘t look like it will include a portion of the Owenâ€"McNally property that local environmentalists are concerned about. The Citizens for the Proâ€" tection of the Waterloo Moraine have identified the site as a water recharge area for the moraine, and are concerned that any devel CITY NEWS chance to recite the oath to reaffirm their citizenship. Becoming a Canadian citizen is an application process, and there are cerâ€" tain requirements that have to be filled. The applicant must be a permanent resident of Canada and have lived in the country for at least three of the last four vears. If the applicant is between the ages of 18 and 54. they must be able to speak some Engâ€" lish. Anyone 55 and older is exempted from the lanâ€" guage requirement. Those who are between the ages of 18 and 54 must also learn about Canada. They are given a book called A Look at Canada and must pass a citizenship test where they are tested on Canada‘s history, geography, political system and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. All applicants over the age of 16 must pass RCMP criminal, security and immigration clearances. This is to ensure the appliâ€" cant is not a war criminal, terrorist, spy, under deporâ€" tation order or have been convicted of an indictable offence in the last three years. _ Finally, anyone over the age of 14 must take an oath to become a citizen. Children cannot become citizens on their own. They must have a parent who is already a citizen of they must apply at the same time as their parents. Raees Hussainâ€"Aamir opment on the site could pose a risk of contamination to the aquifer while cutting down the capacity of the natural water feature that provides that area with 75 per cent of its clean drinking water. They aren‘t the only ones concerned with the region‘s drive to create a Laurel Creek headwaters environâ€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE was one of the citizenship candidates. Hussainâ€"Aamir has been in Canada for five years after coming from Pakistan. He came here to get his bachelors degree in mathematics from Universiâ€" ty of Waterloo, which he received last year. Muhammad Aneeq Anwar, 8, looks at the citizenship documents he received at the citizenâ€" ship ceremony at KCI. Anwar, who came to Canada from Pakistan almost five years ago, was one of six children to receive their citizenship. "Canada is just a great place to live," he said when asked why he wanted to become a citizen. Juan Pablo Jou, 13, moved to Canada from Colombia with his parents and older sist®when he was nine vears old. "I like Canada a lot. It was a bit different from mentally sensitive land scape designation in keep ing with the Ontario Plan ning Act. Local land owners are worried the region will reâ€" designate the lands as an Agricultural Resource Area, which will prevent them from being developed into subdivisions. They will not be able to what I was used to. especialâ€" ly the weather, but I liked the change," he said. _ _ When asked how he felt about becoming a citizen he said, "I‘m excited and pretty happy." Anwar Haq received his citizenship with his wife and two young sons by his side. The family moved from Pakâ€" istan in December 2000. Hag was very much looking forward to becoming a Canadian citizen. "It‘s very exciting. Canaâ€" da is the only country in the world that has such a diverse â€" cultural backâ€" ground. People from all over cash in on a building boom that is pushing Waterloo towards its western most borders. If the true measure of a compromise solution is the way that it can potentially upset both sides of an issue, the region might have hit a chord. But Chris Gosselin, man ager of environmental plan the country live in harmony It is the most peaceful counâ€" try that 1 have seen," he said. Hag‘s application process took one and a half years but he didn‘t seem to mind. He even had a positive outâ€" look about the test. "Now I know the minor things about the country that some people tend to ignore, and after reading that book I know a lot more about Canada," he sad. "It‘s a great place. It‘s a great place for living, and it‘s free," he said. Chao Chen from China shares Hag‘s enthusiasm about Canada. ning for the region, said the ultimate goal is to get Kitchâ€" ener and Waterloo‘s expanâ€" sion to move in a more eastâ€" erly direction rather that continue to the west and take up more prime agriculâ€" tural land. That eastern focus is meant to better link the Continued on page 6 iENNIFER ROWDEN PHOTC