On
June 2nd, 2024, I, along with other students and parents of various ages traveled to Ottawa, Canada’s capital. We gathered
to celebrate Senator Victor Oh’s retirement and present him flowers to thank
him for his various contributions to our country and community. When our group arrived in Ottawa we had the incredible opportunity to share
a meal with Senator Oh where he shared some of his experiences with us. We had the
opportunity to learn about his collaborations with former Prime Minister
Stephen Harper and about his experience as a mentee of Hazel McCallion. It
was enlightening to hear about how the mentorship and guidance that the former
mayor of Mississauga offered to Senator Oh combined with his hard work and effort eventually led to him entering the senate as its first
non-white member. McCallion's passion for helping and encouraging others shines
through Senator Oh’s devotion to serving Canada and its people.
Senator
Oh shared a bit of information regarding his decision to suggest an amendment
to bill C-6 which allows Minors to apply for citizenship independently.
Previously, minors could only individually apply with a waiver granted by the
minister. This amendment has undoubtedly helped many in their journey to becoming a Canadian citizen.
Senator Oh encourages youth to become
knowledgeable about and participate in politics as they are the future of the
country. Despite
his busy schedule, Senator Oh personally took our group on a tour of the Senate
building where he took the time to explain the daily procedures and
responsibilities that he has. He carefully explained the various intricacies
relating to his experience and answered any inquiries that we had. The building
was beautiful, in particular, many of us were captivated by the design of the
ceiling and columns. Senator Oh informed us that the building was previously a train
station. For many of us, this was the first
time we had been inside
of the Senate building. We
took various group and individual photographs to document the experience. Some
of the other guests and I received a handwritten note from the Senator
welcoming us to Ottawa. In
addition to taking us on a tour of the Senate building, we were also invited to
take a look at his office. The space featured many photographs that documented
his career and achievements. This included photographs of him with Stephen
Harper and Hazel MacCallion and a newspaper article recognizing him as the
first Chinese-Canadian in 26 years to be honored with a tribute dinner by the
Community Living Foundation of Mississauga. As an immigrant himself, Senator Oh
hopes that his support of immigrants and their families will encourage them to take part in politics to continue supporting the community and country as he
has done during his career. The
10-hour combined trip to and from Ottawa was well worth the remarkable
experience of hearing about Senator
Oh’s journey. Many members of our group
are also Asian
immigrants, so seeing someone
like us be so successful was very inspirational. I am sure that it will be an
unforgettable memory for us and that we all wish him an enjoyable retirement. |
