I know that 1947 is supposed to be the magic date for citizenship,  but there have been lots of references right back to Confederation around Canadian citizenship.    During WWII alone,  there were Orders in Council outlining return of troops and families as Canadian citizens.   I still have my mother's documents which state that specifically,  and even a card given to her as a War Bride which states she would be able to vote and gives the electoral district and poll numbers.  The Veterans' Land Act loans were to be  available for veterans who were citizens.  The Canadian Navy  found my brother to be a citizen when he joined up in 1953, so why is he not today?   I think the 1947 was just one in a long line of pieces of legislation on citizenship,  it incorporated the previous ones rather than negate them.      
As Don Chapman has pointed out, why do we have maple leaves on all those tombstones in the War Cemeteries if there were no Canadians?
Thanks for writing to wish us  luck