'Lost Canadians' law opens door for descendants of Acadians to become citizens
A new Canadian law intended to help 'Lost Canadians' reclaim citizenship is facing implementation hurdles for descendants of Acadians. Many applicants are struggling to provide acceptable documentation, and some have even had their previously granted citizenship certificates revoked.
Why it matters
The situation highlights the bureaucratic complexities of citizenship laws and the challenges of tracing historical lineage for marginalized groups.
Nadine Morin, a documentation specialist at the Anselme-Chiasson Centre for Acadian Studies at the Université de Moncton, said she's received genealogy requests from at least 30 people since January.
At first, she said, she thought it might be a stretch to trace the Canadian connection back to the 1700s. "It wasn't even Canada yet," she said in an interview.
"To me, it's valid. They were in Acadia at the time and they had their feet on the ground here and we are Canada now," Morin said.
The centre's trove of records, which were collected, transcribed, authenticated and meticulously catalogued, have helped many Acadians from around the world trace their lineage back to the region.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in