They’re pretty sure they’re the first Mauritian family to settle in the Sault and a big part of why they moved here was because they hate commuting.
Also, as of yesterday, they're all officially Canadian.
Members of the Laroulette family were among 22 people who received Certificates of Citizenshipat a Citizenship ceremony at White Pines Collegiate & Vocational School on Wednesday.
Five years ago husband and wife Gilbert and Anne Laroulette moved to Toronto from the Republic of Mauritius – a tiny island country in the Indian Ocean.
They wanted a better life for their two children Anne Danaëlle, 7, and Damyen, 6, at the time.
Shortly after arriving, and after having their third child Anna-Gayle, 4, they decided to move to Sault Ste. Marie.
“One summer I was in the Sault on vacation, I fell in love with it. I said okay, lets go. It’s a good place to raise kids rather than a big city like Toronto where they are exposed to bad influences, although I love Toronto,” said Gilbert.
Gilbert is now working as a chef at Algoma University and Anne is working at the Sault Community Career Centre.
Anne said that moving to Sault Ste. Marie was a way to allow the family to spend more time together.
“I think the biggest reason we moved here was because we can cut down on travelling time. In the Sault, it's just five minutes from home to work,” she said.
When they moved to the Sault they soon found St. Jerome’s parish and developed a close-knit friendship network.
"They're our family," said Anne.
The family have a very deep connection with God and Gilbert said raising their children in the tranquility of Algoma’s natural landscape and the relative wholesomeness of the area compared to Toronto helps them stay grounded in their beliefs and will make a stronger foundation for his children’s lives.
“When the kids are raised like this... they grow up with peace in their mind and if their base is solid you can send them anywhere in Canada from there.”
At Wednesday's ceremony the entire family became Canadian citizens, except for the youngest Anna-Gayle, 4, who was born here and is; therefore, already a Canadian citizen.
Other people that took Oaths of Citizenship at the ceremony were from India, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.
The White Pines Male Drum Group and the East View Public School ‘Miigwannamanze’ drum group performed at the ceremony.
The event took place at the high school in conjunction with Education Week - the theme of which is Canada and Ontario’s 150th anniversary.