Welcome! Citizenship ceremony for 25 new Canadians held in St. John's

Twenty five more people are calling Canada home after a citizenship ceremony at St. John's City Hall on Tuesday.

The newest group of Canadians came from nine countries.

"It feels awesome," said Mariano Koenalonso who originates from Argentina.

"We've been building expectations and all this excitement and now it's done."

Shannie Duff, a member of the Order of Canada, presided over the ceremony. She saidhelping swear in new citizens brings her a lot of satisfaction.

"When you look at how pleased and how important this citizenship is to these new Canadians it makes you think all over again how lucky we are to be in this country," Duff said.

'Couldn't have chosen better'

Koenalonso finished a PhD and moved to Ottawa with his wife and daughter 16 years ago. Two years after that, the family relocated to Newfoundland and Labrador and added another daughter to the family.

"It took us, yes, a long time to get here but really we thought it through," Koenalonso said.

"We couldn't have chosen better."

The family ultimately decided to stay so their daughters could "have a better place to live."

Their eldest, Guadalupe Koenalonso has lived in St. John's since she was three.

"There's a lot of emphasis on unity and acceptance and multiculturalism and like even hearing everyone talk It was really genuine and really sweet," she said about the ceremony.

"I mean my mom next to me was crying the whole time."

Encouraged to stay

Duff says new Canadians make a tremendous addition to the province's cultural and economic life.

While she recognized the new citizens were free to leave, she plugged Newfoundland and Labrador as a good place to stay.

"I think it's well known that we are an aging demographic and I think new Canadians bring the world to us," Duff said.

"I think they give us far more than we give them."

The group left today with a maple leaf pin, freshly signed citizenship certificate and a sentiment from Duff: "You're joining the Canadian story."