Canada’s most explosive festival, GlobalFest, is often thought of as the best place to see some of the top firework displays worldwide—and while that remains true, it is also much more.

The annual celebration of cultural diversity in the One World Festival, which runs alongside GlobalFest’s international fireworks competition, has, for the past 15 years, been a starting point for new Canadians on their journey in this nation.

On Aug. 19, 46 people representing 11 nations took the oath of allegiance to Canada and became the newest Canadian citizens.

Ken Goosen, Chief Operating Officer for GlobalFest, said that the annual citizenship ceremony has become one of the defining events for the festival.

“For GlobalFest, this really does become an opportunity to shine a light on the new faces who are here and how we all together are the definition of Calgary, Alberta and Canada. To me, it’s a privilege and almost a responsibility to continue doing work like this,” he said.

“We’ve had 1,300 individuals make this journey. I’ve had the chance to talk to some of them. Some of them were through seven different refugee camps before they got to Calgary. Their journey, their knowledge, it’s an experience that I’ve not lived, but it’s a world experience, and we are a small world, so we learn.”

One of those new Canadians was Ramos Emmanuel, who moved to Canada in 2018 from the Philippines. He, alongside his wife and two children, became citizens on Tuesday.

He said that after the ceremony, he wasn’t thinking about his birth nation, but just about being a Canadian citizen.

“I want to stay here. I like the ambience. I like the snow,” he said.

The citizenship ceremonies began after a request from Judge Ray Lee, who served as a federal citizenship judge and as the founding member of Calgary’s Sien Lok Society.

Goosen said that came about because Lee wanted to bring the citizenship ceremonies into the open and outside of office rooms at the federal Harry Hays Building.

“There’s no public there. It’s hidden. We’re here to celebrate this, and we’ve got the public here. We’ve got so many people seeing what it is, and I hope that they get just a little bit of a spark of a greater appreciation. For those citizens who have become Canadian citizens, to see that we care, that we genuinely want them to be here and to be a part with us,” said Goosen.

Lee died in December 2024. As a gesture to him, Goosen said that Lee’s extended family—which included Goosen and his wife, who were adopted into the Lee family—all signed the larger firework shells with messages of love, recognition, and honouring the late judge’s work.

“They’re going to be some of the biggest shells we’re sending up as a tribute to what he’s done for us, and sending him up to the stars to be where he truly belongs,” said Goosen.

“It’s not something we can do for everybody. So, it really is a very special opportunity.”

Emotional ceremony a culmination of work to become a Canadian citizen

The ceremony was opened by a speech and prayer by Elder Clarence Wolfleg, who told the crowd that the way the Blackfoot welcome people to their territory, was through the words “welcome my relatives.”

Wolfleg’s service to Canada was acknowledged by Citizenship Judge James Clover, who likewise acknowledged GlobalFest for their service in making the ceremony open to the public.

“I hope this day becomes a day that you celebrate each and every year, and I hope you come back and remember how special this day was,” he said.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who gave her well-wishes and greetings to the new citizens on behalf of Calgary city council, said that it was an incredible day for everyone who had worked hard to become Canadian.

“I’m looking out at people’s faces. I see babies. I see proud parents. I see grandparents. I see everyone just so happy to be here. I remember going through my own citizenship ceremony. This is just such a beautiful moment for everyone, and to be able to welcome these folks into our city,” she said.

“My goodness, I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”

Mayor Gondek said her and her family’s story was about what newcomers to Canada can accomplish.

“I mean, my dad becoming the first Sikh to be a bencher in any law society in Canada. I’m the mayor of the greatest city in the world. This is amazing. These are the opportunities that this place affords you, and I couldn’t be happier than to be here with these folks tonight,” she said.

That sentiment was echoed by Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women, who said that it was only fitting that new Canadians be given their citizenship at GlobalFest.

“It makes me grateful to be an Albertan and I’m excited for these folks that get to come to this amazing country and live in a safe, beautiful, welcoming country with unlimited opportunities,” Fir said.