Canadian Citizenship Test

Canadian citizenship was created in 1947. Before that people in the independent countries of the Commonwealth and Empire were simply subjects of the King. In 1950 this unity was broken when India became a republic. About the same time individual states of the Commonwealth began to create separate citizenship for their countries. Canada did so in 1947. Prior to 1947 immigrants to Canada simply took the Oath of Allegiance to become Canadians. The Oath of Allegiance is “I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law”. From 1947 to 1977 they took the Oath of Allegiance for Purposes of Citizenship, an adaptation of the Oath of Allegiance provided in the Citizenship Act of 1947. It was “I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen”.

It was introduced by the Liberal Government of Mr Pierre Trudeau in 1976 and came into effect in 1977.

To three things. First, the individuals who take it commit themselves to fidelity to the head of our country, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II — the person in whom, in accordance with the Constitution, the Government of Canada and the Command in Chief of the Canadian Forces are vested; who is one of the three parts of the Parliament of Canada; in whose name the law is administered; and who personifies the history of Canada in which her family for five hundred years have been a creative force. (But such individuals are not swearing loyalty to the government policies of the day.) Secondly, they are promising to observe the laws of the country, (but not necessarily to support or advance them if their conscience tells them otherwise). Finally, they state that they will be good citizens of Canada.

They take the Canadian Citizenship Oath. The Citizenship Oath is as follows: “I [name of person] swear” [or “affirm”] “that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen”. Or in French: “Je jure” [ou “dclare solennellement”] “que je serai fidle et que je porterai sincre allgeance Sa Majest la Reine Elizabeth Deux, Reine du Canada, ses hritiers et ses successeurs en conformit de la loi et que j’observerai fidlement les lois du Canada et remplirai mes devoirs de citoyen canadien”.