Lines outside passport offices are long and would-be travelers are getting impatient. To help combat the current problem, Service Canada has created a classification system that is intended to help reduce wait times.
This new system will have managers and staff periodically working queues to process those with urgent travel plans first, within 24 to 48 hours.
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Shauna Peters was waiting at a passport office with her teenage daughter Kirstin on Monday. Shauna hopes to fly to Las Vegas on her already booked flight on Tuesday morning.
“(It’s) stressful, incredibly stressful and frustrating,” Shauna said. “I called the helpline and they gave me two options, (one was) call a 1-800 number, and I called there and it disconnects and says they are overloaded.
“The other option is a link that I tried twice, so there is no choice but to come here and wait.”
“I accepted it a week ago,” Kristin added. “If I don’t go, I don’t go, but if I go, then it’s a miracle.”
However, no miracle was needed. The new triage system brought them to the front of the queue at the South Calgary location. But the wait continues for those not traveling right away, and by lunchtime the line had almost wrapped around the Service Canada building.
The line outside the Service Canada office in Midnapore.
Jill Croteau/Global News
Keegan Baillon was another person who was frustrated waiting in line on Monday to renew his passport.
“Everything was shut down due to COVID-19 and our government didn’t realize the demand wasn’t going to go away,” Baillon said. “This is ridiculous.”
Brittany Wilcox said she is trying to get new passports for her children after theirs expired.
“I hope it’s just in and out,” Wilcox said. “My kids are sitting in the car watching Netflix, so I’ll call them on the line once we get to the door.”
Scott Cripps is in line to check on the progress of two of his children’s expired passports. He said that he mailed the renewal forms to him a few months ago and still hasn’t heard back. He added that the family has a trip booked for July 23.
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“We’re planning to go to the States,” Cripps said, “We’ve got weeks to go, so I’m hoping for some answers.
“I think what would have been nice is more communication from Passport Canada when you have applied and submitted months in advance if there was some way to track it online yourself.”
The triage system has already been implemented in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. However, those cities still report ongoing wait times.
Federal government officials said staff are processing tens of thousands of applications and renewals each week across the country and have hired more staff to help get things back on track.
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