Nearly 100 Central Albertans become permanent Canadian citizens
Published 12:24 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2026
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Becoming a Canadian citizen was an emotional experience for Jessica Story.
Story was one of nearly 100 Central Albertans who officially became Canadian at a citizenship ceremony inside Red Deer Polytechnic’s Cenovus Energy Learning Common on Monday, Sept. 21.
“When I took the (citizenship) oath, I was in tears. I knew I had made the right decision,” said Story.
“When the judge said I don’t have to change … and Canada welcomes me just as I am, that made all the difference in the world to me. It’s felt like I’ve been wrapped in warmth since then.”
Story is originally from the United States. Prior to coming to Canada, she worked on the financial side of the international construction industry. A lot of her work was done in war zones.
“I had gone to Iraq (for work). Afterwards, I was in Northern Virginia working on another project. I was at a meeting and was chatting with the company’s construction manager. He asked if I’d consider going back to Iraq. I said no because I couldn’t put my mother through that again. He said, ‘I understand. Well how do you feel about going to northern Canada?’” Story recalled.
In 2007 Story went to Fort McMurray, where she met her future husband. She came back to Canada as a permanent resident in 2012 and has lived here ever since. Late last year, she decided it was the right time to apply for Canadian citizenship.
“I am a proud American, but I’m very concerned about what’s happening in the United States. That was sort of the reason I decided to become a Canadian citizen,” she said.
“I’ve lived here more than 10 years. I want to participate, I want to vote. I already pay taxes, so it made sense. … I could not have done this without the support and love of my friends and family.”
Dieulita Datus-Hall, Red Deer Local Immigration Partnership manager, said the citizenship ceremony is a special moment for the new Canadian citizens.
“There’s a lot of emotion in the room. People are moved to tears receiving their citizenship because it’s a life-altering moment for them,” said Datus-Hall.
Red Deer and Central Alberta are “drawing in people from all over the world. That will help strengthen our economy. As a team, we’re always making sure that Red Deer continues to be welcoming and inclusive.”
The citizenship ceremony was the final part of Welcoming Week in Red Deer. The week opened with an Indigenous-led storytelling event and photo exhibit at the Red Deer Public Library’s downtown branch.
“This year’s Welcoming Week was smaller than last year’s because we didn’t have the funding. But we’re hoping it continues to grow,” Datus-Hall said.
Organizations, businesses and individuals interested in supporting Welcoming Week initiatives in the future are encouraged to connect with RDLIP. For more information, visit www.rdlip.ca.