Getting citizenship on Canada Day is 'icing on top of the cake,' says new citizen

Derek Normanton came to Nova Scotia to visit a friend in Truro, but after getting to see the province, he had an epiphany.

"We were sitting by the visitor centre and we were just like, 'We should move here,'" he said.

That's how his 14-year-long path to citizenship started.

On Tuesday, Normanton was one of 49 people who became Canadian citizens at a ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. New citizens received Canadian flags, took an oath and sang O Canada.

Since 1999, the museum has hosted citizenship ceremonies. Pier 21 served as an immigration terminal from the 1920s until 1971, welcoming thousands of immigrants each year. The terminal welcomed around one million immigrants to Canada.

Normanton said it's a privilege to be a Canadian and the ceremony being held on Canada Day is "just the icing on top of the cake."

He works for the Municipality of East Hants and said he thinks the province has it all.

"The thing about Nova Scotia is it's just such a diverse place. There's so much open space. It's just fantastic, friendly people," said Normanton. "I just love Nova Scotia. It's a fantastic place to live."

He planned to celebrate getting his citizenship by having sushi.

Brad Pease and Ieva Paegle met in Denmark and had two kids there before moving to Canada. They've seen many places in North America, having driven across the continent three years ago.

They had been living in B.C. for a few years before choosing to make Halifax home. They fell in love with Nova Scotia's coastal landscape, culture and people. The family applied for their citizenship this January.

"We saw it as a great opportunity for us as a family, [it's] a beautiful place to live and lots of diversity and different experiences that we could have as a family," said Pease.

"And we really like Peggys Cove," added their youngest child.

Maria Quency De Souza also became a new citizen. She said she will celebrate today's milestone with her family and friends.

Quency De Souza said she has been living in Canada for six years. The nurse studied in India and always dreamed of living abroad.

"Canada was my country," she said.