Marilyn Tremblay and her husband Marcel’s recent trip to Vegas turned into a vacation from hell after their hotel room was robbed of everything – including their passports, phones, medication, and wallets which contained their drivers licenses, money and credit cards.
The Tremblays phoned the Canadian Consulate, who told them to get to its closest office in L.A., where they’d be able to get temporary papers and then catch a flight back to Canada from there. There was just one little problem with that, though.
“We didn’t have the money to do this,” said Marilyn – especially since they were told it could take up to three days to get on that flight. “We couldn’t pay for a room down there for 3 days, our room in Vegas was paid for, so that wasn’t an option.”
She recalls how scared she and her husband were at that point – “we didn’t know ‘what are we going to do’,” she said.
Luckily, their daughter – with the help of a travel agent – came to the rescue, getting them on a flight from Las Vegas to Great Falls, Montana. Their son – with their documents in tow – drove the 8 hour trek from Edmonton to meet them there and get them across the border.
Despite making it back home, the couple still hasn’t recovered from the experience.
“It’s actually been very traumatizing,” she says. “It’s so invasive.”
Marilyn says she’s been turned off from traveling because of this. But she does have advice for those who do: “never stay in a place again that doesn’t have a safe in the room.”
Roland van Meurs with the AMA also has some suggestions: “When it comes to passports, treat them like your wallets…because it is such an important piece of information.” He also recommends leaving a copy with a family member back home, who can then contact an embassy and help you get a temporary passport should you need it.
A Canadian embassy should be your first point of contact if something like this should happen to you.
Passport Canada also has the following tips on how to keep your passport safe:
– Scan/copy page 2 of your passport and email it to yourself or carry it with you (separate from your passport) in case anything happens to your passport. Also, leave a copy with a trusted friend or relative who is not travelling with you.
– Keep your passport safe while travelling. Do not leave it unattended in your luggage, vehicle, hotel or elsewhere. Carry it in your money belt, inside coat pocket or purse, or lock it in your hotel safe.
If your passport is lost or stolen:
In Canada: Call Passport Canada (at 1-800-567-6868) and your local police to report the circumstances of the loss or theft.
Outside Canada: Report the loss or theft to the nearest Government of Canada office abroad and to the local police.
Replacing a lost or stolen passport:
A replacement passport may be authorized if all requirements are met. These include the submission of:
– A completed application form signed by your guarantor;
– Two identical, passport photos;
– The appropriate fee;
– An accepted proof of Canadian citizenship; and
– A complete Declaration concerning a lost, stolen, inaccessible, damaged or found Canadian travel document
-Canadians living in Canada or the United States-can request a replacement passport in person at any Passport Canada office or submit an application by mail or courier.
-Canadians abroad (outside of Canada and the United States) can apply at the nearest Government of Canada office abroad.
Before the passport can be replaced, Canadian authorities will conduct an investigation into the circumstances of the loss or theft. This may lead to delays in processing the replacement passport.
Finding a passport:
If you find a passport, including your own passport that you previously reported as lost or stolen, it must be returned to Passport Canada with a letter describing the circumstances surrounding its recovery.
With files from Julie Mathews, Global News and Passport Canada
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