Did anyone else wake up Canadian for the first time last Friday (4/17/09)? I’d have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and pay a fee to apply for proof and to be sure, but everything I’ve read qualifies me as a new Canadian citizen.
I have been waking up Canadian for 23 years. 
What does that mean for voting?
I don’t know what it means for voting–you’ve been a Canadian citizen longer than me! I would think normal Canadian citizen liberties/restrictions apply. 
I’m trying to figure out if there’s any reason I wouldn’t want to apply for proof…
Basically I am wondering what constituency you would vote in. When I was out east I was still able to vote for a representative in the Saskatoon–Humboldt constituency since that was my last official address.
Since (I don’t think) you never lived in Canada I am curious where they would count your vote. I am also curious whether you would be able to vote in Provincial elections or not.
Hope you use your new citizenship for the good of our country. Maybe help abolish Bill C68 or something
Hopefully “they’ve” thought it through. It seems reasonable to me that I wouldn’t be able to vote in provincial elections since I’ve never had an address in Canada.
Are Canadian citizens abroad generally allowed to vote by mail?
isnt this nearly exactly like the US?
GILLLLLLLLLLLBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
What does “this” refer to?
Adding some useful information:
I get my citizenship soon, however my dad is Canadian so I don’t need any special rules.
the whole citizenship.
First generation are citizens if parents are citizens applies to the U.S.
Yup. I did it last year
Got this from the elections Canada website:
“To qualify to vote, you must have resided in Canada at any time before making the application.”
Reference: Paragraph 222(1)(a), Canada Elections Act
Looks like you might be out of luck for when the bloc and the grits vote non-confidence (or Harper decides to break his own election laws again) and we have another election unless you come up here quick and rent an apartment for a while.
I woke up Canadian… But then, I always wake up Canadian 
You should get your Citizenship, at the very least it means you can live & work in Canada, opens up job opportunites, as well as educational ones That’s why I went to school in Canada
I usualy wake up french but, as I do have the choice, I’ll wake up canadian tomorow… I mean more canadian than french.
I’ll let you know about the details: Do I wake up in better shape as a french or as a canadian? How does a canadian deal with a french breakfast? Will I be brought to the border in the evening?
I should have done this sooner, good thing my 2 countries have nationality agreements 
Well, the “special rules” are only necessary because Canada didn’t allow dual citizenship before 1977 when my mother became a U.S. citizen. So this new law restores her Canadian citizenship and extends it to me.
That’s what I’m thinking. I can’t think of any certain downside.
Interesting–I’ve never heard of the “nationality agreement” you speak of. Does that mean you have dual citizenship in both France and Canada simply because you (I’m guessing) were born in France? Would I get some benefit from this agreement by proving my Canadian citizenship?
I don’t know about dual citizenship (I don’t think I could vote for canadian election if I wanted to) but for sure I have dual nationality. My parents moved to Canada for a while and got “naturalised”. I was born in Montreal but I know my younger sister and my younger brother are canadian too, though they were born in France.
I should check for my kids whether they also are canadian.
Your kids are Canadian, but they will have to fill out some forms before they turn 27 I think it is… I just looked into that, because my son is a Canadian born abroad (Vermont) to a Canadian who was born abroad (myself, in New Hampshire).
Similar thing for me with citizenships, my mother’s family moved to Canada from France when she was a kid, she was naturalized, just got her French citizenship back (in her case, she was a minor when she became naturalized, so France said she could get it back, from what I understand), and my younger bro and I were both born in NH. So we’ve got tri-citizenship, U.S., Canadian, and French!
Pity I barely speak French, and the French I do speak is Quebequois
wha, what does your passport look like? the dual citizens I know have Canadian/American and Canadian/Australian passports but i have never seen a try-citizenship passport. Do they even have those or do you have to choose which citizenship you travel under?
Speaking Québécois is not so bad, I can mostly understand that but Joual is just too far from the laurentian french i spoke as a kid.
Er what? Do you mean special passports? I’ve got (expired) US & Canadian passports, but they don’t mention the other nationality on them. I technically have French citizenship, as in, the consulate told my mom that my younger bro and I qualify, but actual proof, no.
I looked on the internet to find some examples but came out empty. I must have misremembered :o
Never heard of special passports either. As a dual citizen, I have both a French and a Canadian passport. I use one or the other depending on where I’m going to.