Long waits in Kelowna as residents apply for passports

The Service Canada office in Kelowna doesn’t open until 8:30 a.m., but, on Wednesday, the line of people needing service started long before that.

“My husband was there. He was there at seven o’clock for the building to open at 8:30. He was the sixth person in line,” said Kelowna resident Jessica Samuels.

Samuels and her husband both applied for their passports in April. To this day, neither has been issued the travel document.

Samuels has already had to re-schedule one business trip as a result.

“I had a trip planned at the beginning of June and I had to cancel that trip,” Samuels told Global News.

The two have booked a trip to Europe in September. And, on Wednesday, they went back to Service Canada in downtown Kelowna to get an update on the status of their application.

While Samuels said she understands the labour shortage and the-pent up demand for travel is causing backlogs, it’s the communication and the constantly changing rules that have been the biggest issue.

“That’s been the most frustrating thing in the process,” she said.

“We weren’t allowed to apply in person, but then I found out through somebody else that you could apply in person. They said to email, but don’t email twice, to call but you sit on the phone.”

2:05 How other countries streamline the passport process

Samuels said Wednesday’s visit to the passport office has been the most promising one.

“The folks at the front desk were very helpful; they told me the status of my passport,” Samuels said. “I should get it in time.”

Dawn Hutchinson of Prince George was also in line on Wednesday

She drove to Kelowna on Tuesday so that she could apply for her passport in person and expedite the process before travelling stateside in August.

“We have a month before we have to be there, so I’m confident we will have it before then,” Hutchinson said.

Vernon resident Myles Johnson was also in line. He hopes to successfully renew his passport ahead of a trip to Hawaii in October.

“We picked a date for a family trip,” he said. “And, of course, my original passport expired right during COVID and I thought ‘Why bother?’ And then I need to get one.”

Service Canada has said its staff are processing tens of thousands of applications and renewals every week.

According to information on its website, so far this year 757,207 applications have been received and 457, 848 passports have been issued.

In an email to Global News, the government agency also said it has hired almost 600 staff to help get things back in order, added processing hubs across Canada and made improvements to its phone system.

Several days ago, Service Canada also implemented a triage system, which means those with more time-sensitive travel plans are being processed first.

The Service Canada website provides more detailed information for anyone applying for a passport.

1:48 Passport nightmares continue in B.C.