The Citation for Citizenship is an award that honours Canadian individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions in assisting newcomers to Canada in successfully integrating into Canadian society.

Canada’s approach to welcoming and integrating newcomers is unique. It is a two-way process in which newcomers strive to adapt to their new communities and country while Canadians reach out to assist them. Successful integration is achieved when Canadians help immigrants feel “at home” and assist them in becoming active members of their community. The Citation for Citizenship, awarded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, pays tribute to the outstanding accomplishments of Canadians who have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through their tireless work and generosity of spirit in helping newcomers successfully integrate into Canadian society.

The Citation for Citizenship takes place every second year. Up to 20 individuals and organizations across Canada will be chosen to receive the award. Nominations will be evaluated by a selection panel consisting of regional representatives from across Canada. Once the winners are selected, they will be advised and invited to attend an award presentation in their province or territory. The award, consisting of a gold maple leaf pin and a certificate signed by the Minister, will be given during Canada’s Citizenship Week, October 17–23, 2005.

Eligibility
To be eligible, nominees:

must be Canadian citizens or active Canadian organizations from the voluntary, private or public sectors. Recipients are eligible for this award only once;
must have contributed to the integration of permanent residents or Convention refugees in an exceptional way, through activities that have had a significant impact at the local, regional or national level. These activities could cover a wide range of possibilities. For example: helping new immigrants and refugees when they arrive in Canada, developing and carrying out educational and counselling programs, promoting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, and ensuring that equal opportunities exist with respect to race and ethnicity. These are a few of the ways in which Canadians assist newcomers, but many more exist.
Senators, members of Parliament, members of provincial legislatures and territorial councils, members of municipal councils, judges and employees of Citizenship and Immigration Canada may not be nominated for the Citation for Citizenship.

Nominations
Nominations may be submitted by individuals and organizations from the voluntary, private or public sectors. Nominators may nominate only one candidate per year and cannot be related to this candidate.

How to write a
good nomination
Because a selection panel will assess each nominee on the information provided in the nomination form and supporting documents, it is important to put forward a good nomination. A good nomination uses plain language, is written or printed clearly, includes all the information requested, and tells the selection panel, in a concise manner, what the candidate has done to help newcomers integrate into Canadian society and how he or she did it.

Nomination process
Nominators must complete a Citation for Citizenship nomination form and ensure that the following information is provided:

a clear indication of the nomination category (individual or organization);
a description (in 500 words or less) of the nominee’s achievements, indicating the nature and impact of the activities carried out, as well as the audience reached (clearly distinguishing between voluntary activities and paid employment);
a one-page biography of the person nominated or a short profile of the organization nominated (this may include a brochure or pamphlet that describes the organization);
letters of support from two cosponsoring organizations other than the nominator, bearing the authorized signatures or seals of the organizations. The letters should provide additional information on how the nominee has contributed to the integration of newcomers, and should explain clearly and concisely why the organization supports this nominee.
To be considered, nominations must include the completed nomination form and all supporting documents. Documents will not be returned.