Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, there is an overwhelming increase in demand for passport services at this time, of nearly 40%. The minister has been working with officials. As I mentioned before, as of December we had already hired 500 new passport employees, but we have d

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, as we know, Canadians have waited a long time to travel again, and many of them are eager to do so to reunite with loved ones and to take a much-needed rest and vacation, but as I mentioned before, demand for passports is up over 40%, and our Service Canada employe

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, Canadians are travelling again, and there has been an unprecedented volume increase in the demand for passports for those who wish to travel. It has resulted in long lineups and wait times for in-person service. We do understand that this situation is difficult and

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, we have been preparing for this for some time. As early as December, we hired 500 new employees to process passports. We opened three new processing centres around the country, and over the weekends we opened as many locations as possible to serve Canadians. In add

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, we continue to work to open as many client counters as possible and passport offices. As I mentioned before, we have hired 500 new employees, and we continue to work with workload management and processing technology to increase efficiency in our processing call ce

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, as mentioned before, we have expanded the passport intake services at over 300 Service Canada offices across the country. We hired and trained over 500 staff already last December. We opened three new processing centres across the country and simplified the service

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, Canadians are travelling again, and we understand that the lines are long and this is difficult and stressful for many. That is why last weekend, 12 of the busiest offices across the country were open throughout the weekend. Service Canada staff continue to work th

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her advocacy for constituents. We do know this is a frustrating time for many Canadians as they try to use the system. We have simplified the process to replace expired passports and have extended it to those that expired 15 yea

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member sharing the frustrations that many Canadians are facing as they try to embark on travel again to see loved ones throughout the country. With the easing of public health restrictions and Canadians resuming their travels, Service Canada

Passport Canada  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her advocacy for her constituents. We have compassion for those who are facing the need for imminent travel, particularly when it is to visit a loved one facing dire health conditions. That is why proof of travel is needed and r

Jewish Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, let me share some names of people who are an important part of the fabric of this country: Léa Roback, social activist and feminist; Moshe Safdie, architect; Rosalie Abella, Supreme Court justice; William Shatner, actor and now astronaut; Geddy Lee, Leonard Cohen and

Passport Canada  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her question. Our public servants have been working night and day, overtime and weekends, to catch up with the overwhelming demand of Canadians for their passports. We understand that there are unique circumstances for some individ

Passport Canada  Mr. Speaker, since December of last year, we have hired 500 additional passport workers and opened three new processing centres, with now 303 Service Canada centres. In addition, those who followed the process and have submitted the correct required documents according to the gui

Passport Canada  Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, 100% of the Service Canada passport wickets are open from coast to coast to coast, serving Canadians. In addition to the 500 additional employees and the additional three processing centres that we have opened, each Service Canada centre is available

Service Canada  Mr. Speaker, after two long years, Canadians are travelling again and we are seeing unprecedented volumes across the country of Canadians who wish to have travel documents. We know that it is both difficult and stressful for them. The minister has been travelling throughout the