Passport pickup office opening in Kingston, Ont.

The days of long lines and driving to Ottawa or Toronto for passports could be coming to an end.

At a news event Wednesday outside the Service Canada office at the Frontenac Mall, local MP Mark Gerretsen announced there will be a passport pickup service opening in Kingston, Ont.

Effective immediately, residents can now apply for and pick up their passport at the Service Canada Centre in Kingston.

“The expansion of Kingston’s Service Canada passport services will hopefully relieve the pressure for people in our community needing the speedy delivery of passports, and improve the service experience for our community as a whole,” Gerretsen, the MP for Kingston and the Islands, said.

This means that instead of driving to other cities to receive a passport, locals can order it and pick it up at the Frontenac Mall within 10 days.

It’s part of Ottawa’s plan to ease long lineups and wait times at passport offices across the country.

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In addition to the Kingston office, three other passport pickup locations across the country have been designated in Sudbury, Ont., Lethbridge, Alta., and Sherbrooke, Que.