What's your background?

[daftandbarmy]

Infantry, Airborne, Commando, with a pinch of Gunner.

I'll be booking an arty exorcism for my upcoming birthday.  :camo:

 

[FortYorkRifleman]

I'm considering looking into one of those services that looks into your ancestry. Given that many Indian's and African's were brought over to the country I can't say where exactly my ancestors come from. I'm pretty sure India but who knows

 

[mariomike]

When I say background I mean where you trace your roots, whether you were born in Canada etc.

My parents were born in Canada.
My late father's background was Irish and French.
My mother's ( still alive and well, I'm happy to say ) background is, mostly, German-American. ( Sullivan County, State of New York. )

I'm considering looking into one of those services that looks into your ancestry.

This is free,

Ancestry Library Edition
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=EDB0005

 

[FortYorkRifleman]

My parents were born in Canada.
My late father's background was Irish and French.
My mother's ( still alive and well, I'm happy to say ) background is, mostly, German-American. ( Sullivan County, State of New York. )

This is free,

Ancestry Library Edition
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=EDB0005

Thanks, mariomike! I had no idea the TPL provided such a thing. I have just two blocks from where I live so I'll definately check it out

 

[mariomike]

Thanks, mariomike! I had no idea the TPL provided such a thing. I have just two blocks from where I live so I'll definately check it out

Good luck with that. 
After many pages of discussion about Diversity in the CAF, it's nice that some are willing to share their backgrounds. 

 

[swisscosmo]

I haven't joined yet but am in the application process. So if I don't fit into this question my bad.

I'm born and raised in Canada to a Swiss father who immigrated in '79 and a Canadian mother. I do hold Swiss citizenship but am choosing to join the Canadian army.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I haven't joined yet but am in the application process. So if I don't fit into this question my bad.

I'm born and raised in Canada to a Swiss father who immigrated in '79 and a Canadian mother. I do hold Swiss citizenship but am choosing to join the Canadian army.

When the German Kaiser asked in 1912 what the quarter of a million Swiss militiamen would do if invaded by a half million German soldiers, a Swiss replied: shoot twice and go home.

 

[Pusser]

Both sides of my family have been on this continent for many generations (can't claim to be a Mayflower descendent, but pretty close).  In the ensuing years parts of it drifted on both sides of what is now the Canada/US border.  Some ancestors were expelled Acadians who stayed south and others were Loyalists who decided it was too cold and went back.  It really wrankles me when I'm referred to as "European."  Despite having no First Nations ancestors (of which I'm aware) I'm no more European than Tecumseh.  I was born south of the border to American parents, but emigrated to Canada when I was 18 months old and have been here ever since.  Nevertheless, despite over 32 years of wearing Her Majesty's Canadian uniform, the current government has now branded me a second class citizen.  Although I'm occasionally bitter about this, overall, I'm pretty happy to call myself Canadian and only that.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Canadian, born here, as are my parents and a lot of my dad's side. Grandparents on my mom's side are straight outta Dublin Ireland, and my dad's ancestors emigrated from France to start a small town in Eastern Quebec in the late 1700's, where a bunch of them still reside. 

 

[PMedMoe]

Canadian too.  Only second generation on my Dad's side (grandparents both born in Scotland), but my mother's side of the family has been here for a few centuries.  If you run into an Arsenault in PEI, we're probably related.  :nod:

 

[FJAG]

Immigrant to Toronto at age eight from Berlin, Germany (with a short period living in Frankfurt).

Father from Berlin and mother from what was then in the pre-war eastern German "state" of Niederschlesien but which is now in the "province" of Lubusz in western Poland.

:cheers:

 

[FJAG]

This is free,
Ancestry Library Edition
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=EDB0005

Thanks for this.

When I went to it I discovered I needed to be a Toronto library user so tried out my own county library site here and low and behold I can get the same services.

Excellent.

:cheers:

 

[FortYorkRifleman]

Canadian, born here, as are my parents and a lot of my dad's side. Grandparents on my mom's side are straight outta Dublin Ireland, and my dad's ancestors emigrated from France to start a small town in Eastern Quebec in the late 1700's, where a bunch of them still reside. 

Irish and French? That's a dangerous combination.  :nod: I dated an Irish girl who was feisty as hell and would probably engage in bar fights had it not been for me talking HER down. We traveled together in Mullingar some years back and I loved it.

Canadian too.  Only second generation on my Dad's side (grandparents both born in Scotland), but my mother's side of the family has been here for a few centuries.  If you run into an Arsenault in PEI, we're probably related.  :nod:

Hmm... scotch

 

[Sparkplugs]

Irish and French? That's a dangerous combination.  :nod: I dated an Irish girl who was feisty as hell and would probably engage in bar fights had it not been for me talking HER down. We traveled together in Mullingar some years back and I loved it.

Hmm... scotch

That would be me, hahaha! There's a reason I'm not a big drinker, generally speaking!

 

[RDBZ]

Born and raised in Toronto, but mom's side is from Hong Kong and dad's side is from mainland China pretty much opposite HK.  They had already settled in TO for 4 years before I was born, along with mom's sisters. 

I was *this* close to either being born/raised in Edmonton (where my mom's brother lived) or Houston (where my dad's brother lived).  It was a close one.

I've never been questioned when I say "I'm Canadian" except when I was overseas in Australia.  It was (and still is) a little disconcerting, mostly because Canadians generally won't think twice about it.

They were probably just interested in what we'd consider your 'background', and hence what your cultural perspectives might be; whether your family had been in Canada for generations, or were more recently from mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Singapore.

 

[dimsum]

They were probably just interested in what we'd consider your 'background', and hence what your cultural perspectives might be; whether your family had been in Canada for generations, or were more recently from mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Singapore.

I thought it was like that too, until someone actually came out and said "...but you don't look Canadian". 

I should add that I have a completely Canadian (ok, Torontonian) accent...now sprinkled with Aussie slang when I feel like it.

 

[GUS021]

"...but you don't look Canadian".

Did he (or she) expected you to look like that?

Or maybe something different but more obvious?

 

[Kamikaze1655]

Palestinian. Family escaped in 1948 and have lived in Jordan ever since. Immigrated to Canada 10 years ago.
While it makes me sad I have never been in my home country I am a proud Canadian.