![Citizenship ceremony, other Canada Day festivities go ahead despite rainy Winnipeg skies](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7251598.1719862111!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/henry-and-oreo-amogu.jpg)
Citizenship ceremony, other Canada Day festivities go ahead despite rainy Winnipeg skies
CBC
Intense showers may have dampened some Canada Day plans in Winnipeg, but not everyone is taking a rain check.
A ceremony saw 28 people from 12 countries officially become Canadian citizens on Monday morning. It was moved inside to the Lyric Theatre in Assiniboine Park due to the downpours.
Henry and Oreo Amogu took part in the ceremony. The married couple met in Nigeria, sticking together through bouts of long distance.
"Honestly, it's just super exciting, and I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to do this together," Henry told CBC before the ceremony.
"Whenever I do leave, I just always feel like I want to come back home, and Canada is home for me."
Oreo says it's a day she never thought she'd see.
"I'm really grateful that this is an option on Canada Day. It's a little more symbolic," she said.
Her father also travelled from Nigeria for the ceremony.
"His vision and all the hard work and the sacrifices that he made were worth it, so yeah, he's happy," she said.
Oreo says becoming a citizen helps her and Henry feel immersed in Canadian culture and politics, but also strengthens their hopes to grow a family in the country.
"It's good to be a citizen to be able to [participate] in voting and things that make our lives better as a whole."
Shawket Dipra, who moved to Canada from Bangladesh in 2016, said he was excited for the ceremony despite the weather.
Freedom of expression is one of the main reasons he moved to Canada, and he's excited to be able to vote.
"It comes with great responsibility. At the same time, I know this country was built by immigrants and also the Indigenous people," he said before the ceremony.