Key Takeaways
• Myra Grypuik faces citizenship denial despite Indigenous status due to missing paperwork from a complicated adoption background.
• Canadian law requires specific documents—such as birth certificates and proof of parent citizenship—to obtain a passport, regardless of Indigenous status.
• Even decades living in Canada and community ties do not guarantee citizenship without proper documentation, affecting daily life and legal rights.
Myra Grypuik’s story begins in Campbell River, a town on Vancouver Island where she has spent most of her life. She believed she belonged in Canada 🇨🇦 from childhood, feeling secure in her community and with her Indigenous status. Yet, as decades went by, she discovered that the idea of “belonging” can be very different from what federal law decides. Even after years of living in Canada 🇨🇦, Myra Grypuik’s quest for a Canadian passport and official recognition as a citizen has been full of setbacks and heartache.
Growing up, Myra always thought she qualified for Canadian citizenship. She took steps to apply within eight years of moving to Campbell River, expecting her long-term residence and community connections would be enough. However, what she received instead was not immediate recognition, but only instructions about how to apply for “proof of citizenship.” The difference between the two is huge. Proof means paperwork—original birth certificates, legal documentation of parents’ citizenship, and other official documents—which can be hard to produce, especially when someone’s family life is not simple.
What makes Myra’s case even more complex is her Indigenous status. She holds an Indian Status Card because of her Indigenous heritage. For many, this symbol represents belonging and identity. But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told her this card does not grant citizenship or give her the ability to get a Canadian passport. Even though the Indian Status Card is recognized by the Canadian government for certain rights and services, it does not replace the need to have proper proof of citizenship. When she sought help from the authorities, she was told nothing more could be done because she was listed as having Indigenous status but did not have the necessary citizenship documents.
Adoption has played a huge role in making Myra Grypuik’s journey so difficult. Just after birth, Myra was removed from her biological mother. On her only official birth paper—the live birth certificate—only her adoptive parents appear. This means she cannot prove, through legal documents, that her biological mother was Canadian-born, even though she knows this to be true. Such missing details are more than a trivial problem in the eyes of the immigration and citizenship system: they become barriers, keeping her from being fully recognized.
When Myra tried to get services from Service BC in 2025, she ran into more trouble with paperwork. The Ministry of Health asked her to provide detailed information about her parents’ birthplaces and origins—something she does not have. Sometimes the names and details she provided did not match what was on file, probably because of the adoption. She was told to go through a complicated process: either supply corrected parent information or get third-party witnesses to sign off on details about her background. This route is overwhelming and time-consuming, requiring efforts that many would find hard to manage, particularly given the emotional weight attached to family history.
Living without clear citizenship has made daily life very hard for Myra Grypuik. For most people, simple activities like crossing a provincial border are no trouble. But even while traveling inside Canada 🇨🇦, Myra has faced delays and tough questioning from border officers. Even when she shows her Indigenous Status Card and B.C. Health Card, she is sometimes not allowed to pass quickly, causing her to miss transport connections and feel a deep sense of stress and embarrassment. The lack of a passport not only restricts her from traveling outside Canada 🇨🇦 but also means she is left out in situations where clear proof of citizenship is required—like applying for government programs, certain jobs, or simple identification checks.
Sadly, Myra’s story is not unique. Her experience reflects that of many “Lost Canadians”—people who assumed they belonged in Canada 🇨🇦, only to find out much later that the paperwork did not support their sense of identity. This can happen for several reasons: missing or incorrect birth certificates, lost adoption records, or changes in citizenship laws that affect who qualifies.
For example, Canada 🇨🇦 changed its Citizenship Act in 2009 and again in 2015. The federal government explained that people keep their citizenship if they were Canadians before these changes, but they are not automatically citizens if they only live in Canada 🇨🇦 for many years or have an accepted refugee claim. Adoption by Canadian parents does not guarantee citizenship unless proper legal steps were followed before certain dates. These laws mean that Myra Grypuik and others like her cannot simply rely on their history, community ties, or years in the country. They must have the right paperwork to prove what they have always known: that they are Canadian.
These rules feel especially unfair when people are caught in them because of events far outside their control. Myra was a baby when she was removed from her mother and adopted out. She had no power over how her birth certificate was filled out or what details would be left blank. Now, as an adult, she bears the full cost of administrative gaps caused by choices made decades ago. When she asked for help correcting records or supplying missing evidence, officials required her to get witnesses or other hard-to-find proof. The process is daunting, with many forms and steps that are often beyond her reach.
The impact of all this goes beyond legal formalities; it hurts self-esteem and sense of belonging. Myra’s ability to take part fully in ordinary Canadian 🇨🇦 life is limited. The sense of exclusion is painful. “Canada doesn’t want me,” she has been quoted as saying, capturing the frustration and heartbreak of being left out because of strictly enforced paperwork, not because of anything she did wrong.
More broadly, across Canada 🇨🇦, others have experienced similar situations. Some elderly Canadians have been denied health care and even citizenship status over long-lost birth certificates, even when they can show they have lived most of their lives in the country. People adopted or born in other countries sometimes find out years later that they are not citizens after all if paperwork is missing or if complex legal steps were not followed. The Citizenship Act and its various amendments put a heavy burden on individuals to prove every step of their background through documents. Circumstantial evidence—how long someone has lived in Canada 🇨🇦, being active in their community, or being acknowledged as part of Indigenous peoples—does not count without papers to match.
Adoption issues, in particular, create big roadblocks. When names or details of biological parents are unknown or changed, the process of proving citizenship status can be nearly impossible. If someone was adopted as a child and records were altered or kept hidden, they may never be able to provide what officials ask for.
This reliance on documents over real-life circumstances is at the heart of Myra Grypuik’s struggle. For those holding Indigenous status without matching citizenship papers, the feeling of being caught between communities grows stronger. Indigenous status should stand as proof of community acceptance and rights, but when it does not also serve as proof of citizenship, people are left out of both worlds to some extent.
The government’s stance on these cases is strict. According to Canadian rules, being born to a Canadian parent, being adopted by Canadians, or being a member of an Indigenous community does not always mean one is entitled to citizenship papers or a passport unless all the proper paperwork is in place. This focus on written evidence protects against fraud, but it can also punish people who have never tried to cheat the system—only those whose life’s record is complicated, as with adoption, loss, or changes in the law.
The emotional side of the story is clear every time Myra faces delays or questioning. The stress of being told she doesn’t “qualify” for citizenship despite her entire life in Canada 🇨🇦 affects her confidence and sense of belonging. Each time she has to explain herself or fill out another set of forms, she is reminded of how her identity is questioned. Her Indigenous status and strong roots in the community seem to count for nothing next to the missing documents.
For those in similar situations, the future is uncertain. Myra Grypuik’s journey shows the need for review and reform in how Canada 🇨🇦 applies its citizenship and documentation rules, especially for people affected by adoption or incomplete records. Changes might include more flexible rules for accepting different forms of proof, more help for those trying to track down missing details, or an easier way for people with recognized Indigenous status to get citizenship documents.
Anyone dealing with such obstacles can seek information and official instructions from the Government of Canada’s citizenship page, which explains the paperwork and who is eligible for Canadian citizenship. But as VisaVerge.com has discussed, even the best intentions can be slowed or stopped by one missing piece of paper.
For Myra Grypuik, the path forward is not easy. To have any chance of getting Canadian citizenship, she will need to either locate missing documents, pursue legal help to change her records, or try to get third-party affidavits to back up her claims. Each of these options can take months or even years. Even with strong community support, she faces more emotional and administrative hurdles—something no one deserves after a lifetime spent in Canada 🇨🇦.
Her story serves as a warning and a plea. She hopes that future changes in law or policy will make it easier for those with Indigenous status, deep roots, and uncontested ties to Canada 🇨🇦 to finally be welcomed as citizens—on paper as well as in spirit. For now, the gap between policy and reality remains wide. Each person caught in this system is left to fight for their place, hoping that their voice, one day, will matter as much as a piece of paper.
In summary, Myra Grypuik’s struggle for Canadian citizenship despite Indigenous status spotlights how strict documentation rules can keep people out rather than bring them in. The requirement for perfect paperwork, even after a lifetime of living in the country, leaves many feeling lost and unwanted. Her journey stands as a call for more flexible, compassionate solutions, and for recognition of all who truly call Canada 🇨🇦 home.
Learn Today
Canadian citizenship → Legal status granting rights, privileges, and responsibilities to individuals officially recognized as members of Canada.
Indigenous status → Recognition by the government as a member of Canada’s First Nations, Métis, or Inuit communities, often indicated by an Indian Status Card.
Proof of citizenship → Official documentation, such as a birth certificate or citizenship certificate, required to establish one’s legal status as a Canadian citizen.
Adoption records → Legal documents detailing a person’s adoption, including the names of biological and adoptive parents, important for citizenship claims.
Lost Canadians → Individuals who have lived in Canada believing themselves citizens, but are denied formal citizenship due to paperwork or legal technicalities.
This Article in a Nutshell
Myra Grypuik’s journey exposes the harsh reality of Canada’s strict citizenship documentation. Despite lifelong Indigenous community ties, she faces bureaucratic hurdles due to adoption-related gaps in paperwork. Her experience highlights the need for more flexible, compassionate policies. Many, like Myra, fall through cracks when paper trails fail to prove their identity.
— By VisaVerge.com
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