Today, Monday 20 March, officially marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, but here in Canada, low temperatures still persist and according to weather reports, they will start to rise in the first week of April.

Here are some recent shots of the storm. By the way, I think I got the bike out of the garage early…

On 25 March I will celebrate 13 years living in Canada and I have received the fabulous news that I have been granted permanent Canadian citizenship...

The Canadian immigration process can be difficult to understand. The Canadian government has language, background and physical presence requirements for citizenship. I have met all the requirements and passed the written/oral test 100%.

• Have unconditional Canadian permanent residence status.
• Be physically present for three years out of the previous five years (1,095 days out of 1,825), also called “physical presence”.
• Comply with tax filing obligations.
• Pass a knowledge test about Canada.
• Demonstrate adequate knowledge of one of Canada's official languages (English or French).

Thank you, Canada, for welcoming me as a fellow citizen