Video transcript: The virtual Canadian citizenship ceremony

Video length: 04:37 minutes

[Pleasant music plays. Over a dark blue background, white text appears. The video uses animation and still drawings.

text: The virtual Canadian citizenship ceremony

Congratulations!

An off-screen narrator reads the video’s information.

Narrator: Congratulations!

A series of drawings shows a family of three. They sit in front of the Canadian flag, which is surrounded by balloons in a black-and-white sketched background. A man wears a charcoal grey vest over a cream button-up shirt. He is next to a woman in a pink dress, whose hair is tied in a long braid. She sits next to a girl in a turquoise dress, whose hair is arranged in a bun. In a succession of images, the two adults wave small flags.

Narrator: You’re about to take the oath of citizenship.

In another series of drawings, a woman with short hair and large blue earrings wearing a pink sleeveless top sits in front of a computer monitor. She raises her right hand. She is in front of a black-and-white sketched background of the Canadian flag. She clasps her hands together in front of her chest, weaving her fingers together.

Narrator: For most citizenship applicants, this is the last step before becoming a Canadian citizen.

The camera zooms out to reveal that the woman’s image is on a laptop screen in a video conferencing app. The laptop sits on a desk between a stack of books with two small Canadian flags on top, a mug sitting beside a small plant and a mobile phone. The setting is drawn in black and white, but colours rapidly fill in the image. Above the monitor, black text appears:

Text: What to expect from a virtual ceremony

Narrator: This video provides an overview of what you can expect from a virtual ceremony so you can be prepared and appreciate the experience.

On the laptop, the video conferencing app disappears. The image zooms in on the laptop monitor background. It is a beige background with a few apps, including an email icon and a calendar icon in red and white. In animation, a white cursor clicks on the calendar app. The app opens to show 12 months planned out, with certain dates marked by lines, red Xs and green circles.

Narrator: Virtual ceremonies are held throughout the year, all over the country, and they can host multiple candidates for citizenship, sometimes hundreds at a time.

Another window opens on the laptop, showing a globe with Canada highlighted in green. Red dots mark several places across the country. A black line sweeps diagonally across the globe to show it spinning slowly. In a third window, a video conference app opens, with several grey icons of people appearing. White dots flicker over the icons as their videos buffer.

The white cursor closes the video conference and the entire laptop screen slides quickly to the left, out of view. A new window then slides up from the bottom and fills the screen, showing a new video conference. There is one person, shown as a greyed-out icon with long hair. The person’s icon shrinks and moves to the bottom right of the screen, slightly apart from other users. Multiple light green boxes fill the screen as more people join the call.

Narrator: Candidates join a video conference to take the oath together, on screen, in front of a presiding official.

Black-and-white outlines of one, two or three people appear in each light green box.

In a series of drawings, a grey-haired man wearing an orange vest and white shirt is with a brown-haired boy, who wears a red sweater and jeans. The grey-haired man holds out a mobile phone in front of them.

Narrator: This is a celebratory event, full of emotion and meaning. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Three people stand together in front of a large red and white Canadian flag. A woman in a red dress stands next to a bearded man, who wears a grey sweater over a white T-shirt. A girl in a light pink dress is next to the man. Behind them, there is a black-and-white outline of a dresser with a picture frame on top. The man holds a mobile phone in front of the group.

Narrator: Now, let’s take a look at how your virtual ceremony will unfold, so you can prepare for a memorable experience.

The image zooms out to show the family on a tablet screen. The tablet is on a desk. A white pencil and a light green mug sit beside it. Behind the mug, there is a white vase filled with light brown rods. Behind the laptop, several colourful books stand in a row. The books are propped on a blue vase filled with light brown stems. In front of the vase, there is a blue camera.

The scene changes and an animated beige computer background appears. A few app icons are visible, including a yellow envelope with “e-mail” written underneath it. Black text appears as it’s typed at the top of the screen.

Text: Before the ceremony

Narrator: The first thing you need to do is to prepare in advance.

A light turquoise text box with black text pops up on screen.

Text: Prepare in advance

A red circle, with “1” written in black, appears in the top left corner of the email icon. A white cursor clicks on it. An email inbox with a light turquoise background opens. Several messages are listed and one has a small green circle next to it. A cursor clicks on this message. It lights up in purple and the message opens in a new window.

Narrator: At least one week before the ceremony, citizenship staff will send an invitation.

The message contains an attachment with text and images. The cursor clicks to open it. The text is written in black. The word “invitation” is underlined in green, and there are black-and-white icons of a clock, a video camera and letters of the alphabet next to each respective line. A cursor hovers over the text, enlarging words as the narrator describes them.

Text: invitation

date and time

video conference link

length and language format

Narrator: Read it carefully; it includes important information, such as the date and time, the video conference link, and the length and language format of the ceremony.

The scene dissolves to a black mobile device lying on a beige surface. A blue and white pen is next to it. Green digital numbers on the device count up rapidly from one minute and 14 seconds. The image zooms out to reveal a glass of brown liquid, scissors with a red handle and a white physical calendar with dates marked in blue and red.

Narrator: A virtual ceremony can last between one and a half and two and a half hours, depending on the number of candidates and guests. That’s why it’s important to have everything you need at hand.

The scene shifts as a brown clipboard with white paper moves into the foreground, held in someone’s hands. There is dark brown text on the paper and a small ID card clipped to the top of the clipboard.

Text: Have everything you need at hand

“Everything” is circled and “at hand” is underlined, both in red.

Narrator: It will ensure everything runs smoothly to avoid delays.

On a background of grey and pastel-coloured clouds, a sound wave composed of vertical black lines ripples across the screen. A black phone with a purple audio symbol floats in front of it. The phone has a red record button, with a plus sign and a minus sign on either side of it. A hand reaches out to touch the plus sign icon. A light turquoise box with black text pops up from the phone.

Text: Test the videoconference tool

Narrator: It’s also a good idea to test the video conference tool in advance.

On the computer monitor, three windows are open. One shows horizontal lines of indistinct text, one shows several purple folders and in the middle is an open file, which has a white background and black text.

Text: Keep all messages and documents

A white cursor moves over the file and opens the file menu, clicking “save.”

Narrator: Keep all messages and documents to refer to after the ceremony. Your family and your friends may be present.

In a series of drawings, a short-haired woman is sitting on a couch. She wears a red sweater and a small Canadian flag pin. She holds a white piece of paper. On her left is a long-haired woman wearing a yellow top and waving a Canadian flag. On the right, a woman in a green top and blue skirt holds a child’s hand. The child is wearing a dark purple top. A silver laptop is sitting on a table in front of the group.

Narrator: They may stay in the same room as you during the ceremony, but they can’t participate separately via video conference.

A video conference screen slides up over the image. A grey icon of a person is in the middle. White dots flicker over the icon.

A notice with black text and a red triangle with a white exclamation point appear on the video conference screen. The word “notice” is highlighted in yellow.

Text: notice

not open to general public

Narrator: Virtual ceremonies are generally not open to the public.

In sketch animation, a woman with a ponytail wearing a cream-coloured blouse stands in front of a mirror. She holds white pieces of paper in one hand and a black pen in the other. She speaks into the mirror.

Narrator: Practice the oath and national anthem in advance. You will be encouraged to say the oath in both official languages.

A white piece of paper with a Canadian flag at the top appears over the woman. A headline is written over indistinct text in black.

Text (headline): l’hymne national

A turquoise box with black text pops up.

Text: A bilingual version of the national anthem will be sung at the ceremony

A second, similar piece of paper slides out from underneath the first. The papers wiggle as the narrator speaks.

Text: the national anthem

Narrator: A bilingual version of the national anthem will be sung at the ceremony. You may choose to sing it in English, French or bilingually.

A green plant, a white container holding two small Canadian flags, a laptop, a brown picture frame, a piece of paper and red-handled scissors sit on a desk. A yellow post-it is pinned to the wall above the desk. Black text is typed at the top of the image.

Text: The day of the ceremony

Narrator: Now you’re ready for the big day!

In the foreground, a hand holds up a phone. The image zooms in, showing only the phone screen. On the screen, a person buttons a black jacket over a white shirt.

The scene changes and a woman in a red sari adjusts a small boy’s outfit. The boy wears a white shirt, black pants with a belt and a blue face mask. The woman holds her hand up gently to the boy’s face, then gives him a hug.

Narrator: For this special moment, we recommend wearing business attire. Traditional or religious clothing and face coverings are also accepted.

A woman with long, pulled-back hair, wearing a white blouse and a blue wristwatch, adjusts another woman’s hair. The other woman has her hair in a braided bun and wears a red sleeveless top. The woman in the white blouse gives a double thumbs-up, smiles and kisses the other woman’s forehead.

Narrator: You can dress in red and white, if you wish, to show your Canadian pride!

On a computer monitor, a calendar page is on display. Several days have blue lines on them to mark appointments. A white cursor hovers over one of the appointments. It clicks to reveal a message in black and blue text.

Text: My citizenship ceremony!

Date: 00/00/0000

Reminder 1 day before

Video conference link

Add notes

Narrator: Join at the scheduled login time using the video conference link and have all the items listed in your invitation on hand.

The white cursor clicks “Video conference link,” and a blue camera icon appears next to it. The cursor moves to another window and opens the invitation file attachment.

A purple video conference screen opens on the monitor. A purple dotted buffering symbol appears in the middle of the screen. Black text appears underneath it.

Text: Virtual citizenship ceremony

The ceremony will begin shortly.

Narrator: You will need to wait before it begins while everyone joins the video conference and all candidates are registered.

The image moves to the corner of the screen, where a white box with black text appears. A red circle with a white exclamation point appears on the right side of the box.

Text: reminder

Do not present political or religious views.

Do not present a point of view.

Do not promote an individual or an organization.

Do not sell products.

Narrator: We remind you that the ceremony is not an opportunity to present political or religious views, to present a point of view, to promote an individual or an organization, or to sell a product.

A woman wearing hoop earrings with her hair in a bun appears on a mobile device screen. She wears a black jacket with a name tag over a white blouse and dark bottoms. She is joined by a man with curly hair and glasses, wearing a dark jacket and shirt, and a white collar. They both raise their hands and wave. Two turquoise text boxes with black text appear.

Text: Clerk of the ceremony

Presiding official

Narrator: The clerk of the ceremony, along with the presiding official, will ensure everything runs smoothly. The presiding official may be a citizenship judge or an alternate presider. The ceremony will be held in both official languages, or primarily in one language.

Two pale grey text bubbles appear with black text.

Text: Bonjour !

Hello!

The scene shifts to a purple background with a hand holding a mobile phone that shows black text on white background. A red line appears under the first three words.

Narrator: Not all virtual ceremonies are the same.

Text: Not all virtual ceremonies are the same.

A hand swipes the screen to show an image of a man in a blue suit and red tie, speaking into a microphone. It swipes again, revealing several hands waving in the air, followed by an image of the Canadian flag. The next swipe shows a family of three surrounding a laptop, taking a selfie with a woman in a black formal jacket who appears on a laptop screen in front of a Canadian flag.

Narrator: However, you can expect them to include speeches, the oath taking, the national anthem, and an opportunity for selfies with the presiding official at the end.

The hand swipes away the family picture to show a person with long hair and a traditional chin tattoo, wearing large brown circular earrings and an orange T-shirt. The hand zooms in and the image fills the screen.

Narrator: To honour our path towards reconciliation, each citizenship ceremony highlights the Indigenous Peoples living in Canada.

A hand holds up a cell phone and on the screen, two hands hold a bowl filled with brown plant matter. The person then swipes and the image changes to a hand playing a guitar, with music notes to show the sound. Another swipe reveals a Canadian flag, and a final swipe shows a man and woman hugging. The camera zooms in and the image fills the screen.

Narrator: Some ceremonies may include hosts, performers, special guests or special elements, and may highlight important themes.

In the image, the man wears a brown sweatshirt and the woman a white blouse. She holds two small Canadian flags. The image then disappears like a TV being turned off.

Narrator: Once the oath has been taken and remarks have been given, the ceremony is complete.

A computer window appears over a dark blue background, with black text, an X followed by a red line, and a green circle with a check mark. A black signature appears on the line.

Text: Consult your invitation for next steps

Narrator: Consult your invitation for the next steps after the ceremony, such as signing the Oath or Affirmation of Citizenship form.

On a background of pastel-coloured clouds, two women, one with a bob haircut, red suit and white shirt, and the other with a bun hairstyle, white suit and red shirt, lean on each other. Each holds a small Canadian flag. A turquoise text box with black text appears. The women laugh and wave their flags.

Text: Welcome!

Narrator: We look forward to welcoming you to the Canadian family!

The scene fades and white text appears on a dark blue background.

Text: To find out more about virtual citizenship ceremonies, visit Canada.ca/citizenship.

On a black background, white text appears on screen next to a small Canadian flag logo.

Text: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada

A clip of “O Canada” plays. Text appears in white on a black background, along with a small animation of the Canadian flag over the “a” in “Canada.”

Text: Canada]