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Canada’s tense tariff battle with the U.S. was on the minds of new Canadians in Toronto Tuesday, as 465 people took their oath of citizenship at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).
The CNE has hosted a citizenship ceremony annually for 26 years, but this year’s celebration, which welcomed new Canadians from 57 different countries, marked the Exhibition’s biggest since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CNE CEO Mark Holland.
“It was a super emotional day to welcome these folks and to see all of their excitement to join the Canadian family,” Holland told CBC News. “It’s a stressful time to be a Canadian, so we got to have each other’s backs.”
Just a day before the ceremony, Ontario Premier Doug Ford exchanged heated words with U.S. President Donald Trump amid the recent fallout of trade talks between the two countries.
In response to new U.S. tariffs, Ford repeatedly said the president could “kiss my ass,” while Trump took to Truth Social to call the premier “Flunky Ford” and threaten to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.”
The U.S. had implemented 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on about $28 billion worth of Canadian goods Saturday. Prime Minister Mark Carney later said retaliatory, dollar-for-dollar tariffs on the U.S. will come into effect Sept. 8.
Canada’s counter against the U.S. tariffs served as a point of pride for new Canadian Karimat Okunlole.
“I’m very proud of the way Canada stood up against our bullying neighbours,” said Okunlole, who moved to Canada 13 years ago, graduated from the University of British Columbia and worked as a structural designer for five years before obtaining citizenship Tuesday.
“Although we’re smaller than them, it’s about being able to stand for your people and represent what we hold as most important,” he said. “Together as Canadians, we all share the pride and identity of being Canadian.”
Antonio Elias, a phone technician who has lived in Canada for almost four years after coming from Syria as a refugee, agreed now is the best time for Canadians to stand strong.
As Canada and the U.S. exchange heated threats over tariffs, Syria-born Canadian Antonio Elias says the ‘harmony between the people is stronger than any tariffs.’ (Pelin Sidiki/CBC News)
“Since all these tariffs show up, the Canadians become more Canadian,” Elias told CBC News at Tuesday’s ceremony. “The harmony between the people is stronger than any tariffs.
“It doesn’t matter where we came from. We’re all human and have the same essence inside us.”
Over 356,000 people on average became Canadian citizens annually through 2022-25, according to the federal government. Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the Canadian Citizenship Act, which established the current criteria for qualifying as a citizen.