News Release
Minister Kenney announces Citizenship Judge appointments and reappointment
Ottawa, February 7, 2011 – A. Dane Minor has been appointed as a Citizenship Judge in Surrey, British Columbia, and William Smeaton has been appointed as a Citizenship Judge in Niagara Falls, both for three-year part-time terms, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.
Minister Kenney also announced today the reappointment of Judge Harold Gilleshammer for a three-year part-time term in Winnipeg.
Judge Minor has extensive community experience in issues related to youth crime, gang violence and victims of crime. Prior to his appointment, Judge Minor served as Vice Chair of the Victims Advisory Council to the Parole Board of Canada and Correctional Services Canada. In 1993, he co-founded Crime, Responsibility and Youth in 1993, and worked with the organization until 2003. Judge Minor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he majored in Economics and minored in Political Science.
Prior to his appointment, Judge Smeaton served the people of the Niagara Region for many years in several different capacities. Most recently, from 1992 to 2010, Judge Smeaton was Regional Councillor at the Regional Municipality of Niagara. He also served as the Mayor of the City of Niagara Falls from 1984 to 1991, and as Chair of the Niagara Falls Planning Committee, the Niagara Regional Planning Committee, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board and the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Mayors Conference.
For the biography of Judge Gilleshammer, please visit
www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/commission/cit-judges.asp#gilleshammer.
Citizenship judges are responsible for making decisions with regard to citizenship applications, presiding over citizenship ceremonies and administering the oath of citizenship to new citizens.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca