By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Almost eight years after their arrival here, Dr. Francisco Lang and his family are Canadian citizens at last.
The doctor, his wife Luisabel and their sons Frank and J.J. were officially granted their citizenship at a ceremony at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina on July 13.
Lang said last week he feels “immense joy and happiness” at the milestone, which only came following a long process with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
“I have no words to describe how I feel,” he said, adding that the ceremony was a highlight of his time in Canada so far, and that he and his family feel great pride
to call themselves Canadian citizens.
The Lang family hails from the Cuban province of Pinar del Río. The doctor arrived in Davidson in November 2007 to begin his practice here after working in South Africa for more than 10 years.
Lang said that working in Canada appealed to him for multiple reasons, including the country’s reputation as a leader in medical research and innovation, but also because he desired “a safer environment for my children and my family and myself.”
The family applied for its citizenship in August 2010, nearly five years ago, and Lang said he’s still not sure why the process took so long.
“I don’t have an answer for that question,” he said. “I thought the process was not going to be so lengthy . . . We’ve been waiting for reasons that we still don’t know.”
Lang said he believes that current world affairs have led authorities to conduct more thorough research and investigation before approving applications for citizenship, which may have been a factor behind their long wait.
He, Luisabel and Frank took their citizenship exams in June 2013; J.J. was exempted due to his age. The three of them passed and also had interviews with immigration officers.
They were given extensive questionnaires to fill out, requiring detailed information on their backgrounds and careers.
For years, Lang said, they watched for the notice in the mail, but it was not until early July that the invitation to their citizenship ceremony finally arrived.
He and his family were part of a group of 67 people, representing a total of 30 countries, who took the oath of citizenship on July 13.
Citizenship judge Terrence O’Malley conducted the ceremony. Also present was Ralph Goodale, longtime Liberal MP for the riding of Wascana.
Lang said some of his staff from Davidson, including receptionists Corey Eddie and Joanne Elder, attended the ceremony.
He expressed his appreciation to the community for what he called its “enormous support,” including those who asked for updates on their progress.
This included the town council, which wrote letters to the federal government inquiring about the Langs’ citizenship.