Becoming Canadian

Shirley Guevremont was a dancer in Ghana when a Canadian drummer stole her heart

Shirley Guevremont was born in Ghana and lives in Montreal. She became a Canadian citizen on October 14, 2016 in Montreal. Shirley came to Canada because that's where love brought her.

"I came to Canada for love."

This story is part of Becoming Canadian, a year-long project sharing stories of struggle and triumph from new Canadian citizens.

"I came to Canada for love. I'm from Ghana, in West Africa, and I'm here because my husband is from here. We got married in Ghana in 2007 and that brought me here. I met my husband in university. He was playing the drums and I was a dancer."

I opened the fridge one day and said, 'It's cold in the fridge!' And he said, 'That's nothing, wait until your first winter in Montreal!'

"When we met, I remember I opened the fridge one day and said, 'It's cold in the fridge!' And he said, 'That's nothing, wait until your first winter in Montreal!' My first time I came here my French is not very good, but when I try to make effort they encourage me. At first I thought they would laugh at me, but they never laugh at me when I speak French. If it's no good they correct me and they make sure I repeat it. This is an African dress. My mom had it made for me and she sent it to me two years ago for my birthday by mail. I put on this dress when it's a special day, on my birthday, or maybe going for a special party with my friend or something special that I put on, I love this dress."

— Shirley Guevremont, born in Ghana. Lives in Montreal, became a Canadian citizen on October 14, 2016 in Montreal, Que.

To find more stories about the struggles and triumphs of new Canadian citizens, follow Canada 2017 on Facebook and @BecomingCDN on Instagram and Twitter.