Although there are still some cultural glitches to work out, soon-to-be citizens Ellie Sewell and her husband Michael Sewell of North Vancouver say they are honoured to become official Canadians at a citizenship ceremony on Grouse Mountain today, Canada Day.
The couple, both in their 80s, are originally from England and have lived on the North Shore in Edgemont Village since 2009, after both their children decided to relocate to Canada previously. While Ellie, originally from Cheshire in the north of England and her husband, originally from Surrey in the south, occasionally find themselves longing for the English countryside, both have settled comfortably into their new environment and are looking forward to officially becoming Canucks at today’s appropriately scheduled ceremony.
“We’re very fond of Canadians, we think they’re very friendly and very courteous. We’ve got some lovely Canadian friends and they’ve made us very welcome . . . we’re greatly honoured and proud to become Canadian citizens,” said Ellie.
“We’ve had to learn to speak Canadian,” she added, noting she often finds herself having to repeat herself when speaking to Canadians who seem to find her somewhat thick Northern England accent difficult to understand.
“You Canadians pronounce the letter ‘T’ as a ‘D.’ You say ‘Oddawa’ and ‘wader’ and ‘baddery.’ I couldn’t get batteries in a store once because I wasn’t pronouncing it properly. I had to say it three times . . . then I suddenly realized, ‘Oh I have to pronounce the ‘D.’ So I said, ‘Do you sell badderies?’ and he said, ‘Yes madam, second aisle.’”
Aside from the scenery, another difference between the two nations that stands out for the Sewells is the politeness of Canadians on the road.
“The drivers here are amazing. They’re so courteous and they always stop for you. And the bus drivers . . . we were blown away by the way everybody gets off the bus and says ‘Thank you,’” she said.
Although citizenship won’t offer the couple much in the way of practical benefits, Ellie said it will allow the couple to vote, which she said she intends to do in the upcoming election although she’s tight lipped about her choice.
“You can’t ask me who I’m going to vote for because I’m not going to tell you,” she laughed.
The citizenship ceremony, which is open to the public, takes place at 3 p.m. today on Grouse Mountain.
