ESTEVAN - A couple of Estevan residents took a different approach to having their citizenship ceremony last month.
Liubov Agafonova and her 17-year-old daughter Yana Ponomarenko, who hail from Russia, took their Oath of Citizenship at the Southeast Newcomer Services office in Estevan – the first time members of the public have used the office to become new Canadians.
An SNS employee previously did her virtual citizenship ceremony at the newcomers’ office.
The ceremonies for the new Canadians have been happening virtually for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m so happy because everything is good. I have a lot of people who helped me because newcomer services is very good,” said Agafonova.
Agafonova and Ponomarenko came to Canada nine years ago. They passed their citizenship test online in November.
They have resided in Estevan since coming to Canada.
“Life is so nice in Canada because it’s so much easier. It’s so quiet in Estevan, which for me is good,” said Agafonova.
It was a lot of work to get to the stage where Agafonova and her daughter could become new Canadians.
She is a big fan of the schools here and her work, the MicroTel Inn and Suites by Wyndham, has been very good to her. People in the community have been very kind.
Agafonova needed a place to take the citizenship test virtually because her computer at home was not working very well, so she approached SNS to see if she could have the ceremony at the Estevan office.
“Michael (settlement advisor Michael Pelletier) made an appointment for me and for my daughter, and we sat in this room and listened to the ceremony,” she said.
Then they took the Oath of Citizenship.
Pelletier, the settlement advisor for SNS, said they were more than happy to accommodate Agafonova and her daughter.
“It was a great opportunity and it was our pleasure to do it over here. We are an organization that helps newcomers over here, so it was a great pleasure and it was an honour to host that ceremony over here,” said Pelletier.
They had the necessary technology to make the virtual oath happen.
“We are thinking in the future we might host more like this one,” Pelletier said.
It’s another way they’re able to help newcomers in the community.
“It was a great pleasure working with her. Such a nice lady.Always asking for help if it’s needed. That’s what we’re here for,” said Pelletier.
SNS has been a very good help for Agafonova. If she had questions about the citizenship test or the ceremony, she could come to SNS for what she had to do with the next step.
“Michael explained to me what the next steep would be for em,” she said.
Everybody has been very kind and it was very easy for Agafonova and her daughter.
