At Woodlawn Public Library, the path to Canadian citizenship often begins with a welcoming smile, a classroom of peers, and a stack of practice questions. Each year, the Library’s Citizenship Preparation Program helps newcomers learn about Canadian history, rights, and responsibilities, while creating a supportive community where questions are encouraged, anxieties are eased, and friends are made.
For Sangoun Lee, who arrived in Halifax less than three months before joining the program, the classes became an early anchor in a new country. With his children in school and his wife studying English, Sangoun found himself with time to explore what building a life in Canada could mean.
“I searched how I could be a member of Canada, and I found this class.”
Though not yet eligible to sit for the test himself, Sangoun says the program helped him understand Canada in new ways—from its history to its culture.
“Every class, there is a practice test section in the last part; that was very helpful. I think people who are going to have a test, this practice exam gives them confidence for success.” He describes the day when he is able to take the test as one that will ‘carry the same weight as a wedding or the birth of a child.
The program is more than a study group. It’s a place of belonging. Participants often talk about the friendships formed during weekly classes, the encouragement of library staff, and seeing familiar faces every week that made them feel part of the community long before their citizenship oath.
Organizers like Fiona Zhang from the English Language Learning team have watched the program become a steady bridge for people navigating an unfamiliar process.
“It is a chance for participants to simply learn and make friends in a community that they may not be familiar with,” Fiona explains. “Not all of them need to, or can take the test, but they want to learn about the country they’re living in, and I believe it helps them decide if this will be their forever home. Seeing other participants every week, learning together, having fun, lets them know they aren’t on this journey alone.”
Fiona has also seen the impact in small, telling ways. “It’s always nice to see people get more comfortable—it can be as small as an extra greeting or speaking up more,” she says. “When I host the virtual sessions, I ask participants to share their answers to our sample questions in the chat box. It’s always nice to see the number of people participating increase as weeks go by. My personal biggest win is to see folks return every week—it tells me I’m making these sessions comfortable, welcoming, and interesting for them.”
Fiona adds that the Library setting itself is crucial: “Our staff at Woodlawn are amazing and always welcome participants and their families, helping them with whatever their needs are. They know they can come to the Library, be supported, and have a safe space to do whatever they need to do. For those who usually don’t access a Library, coming a few times for this program allows them to know about the space—and we often see them come back to use resources or bring their families.”
For many graduates, the Library continues to play a role long after the test is passed. Some go on to volunteer, attend English Conversation Groups, or bring their families to children’s programming.
At its heart, the Library’s Citizenship Preparation Program is about more than memorizing answers. It’s about classmates becoming neighbours, or, as Sangoun says, “It’s about walking into a room full of strangers and leaving with knowledge, confidence, and community.”
This story was originally shared as part of Halifax Public Libraries' 2024-25 Annual Report. Read the full report and explore more, here.
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