September 29, 2009 - In the 2008 budget, the Government of Canada announced it would be introducing a higher-security electronic passport, or ePassport, by 2011. It also announced that the validity period of the Canadian passport would be doubled to 10 years when the ePassport is introduced.
Before the launch of the new 10-year ePassport, Passport Canada needs a better understanding of public opinions, preferences and expectations regarding passport security features, the new validity period and service standards.
To gather this feedback, Passport Canada has commissioned Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. to conduct 12 focus groups across Canada between October 5 and 9, 2009. Two focus groups will be held in each of the following cities: Vancouver, Red Deer, Halifax, Montreal, Sherbrooke and Windsor. Participants will be chosen randomly using public information. Passport Canada will not be disclosing any personal information about clients.
Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. will also be conducting phone interviews during the month of October on behalf of Passport Canada. These interviews, as well as the results of the focus groups, are registered with the national survey registration system, which is maintained by the Canadian survey research industry. For more information about the survey industry or to register a complaint, please contact the registration system's toll-free number: 1-800-554-9996.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Phil Azzie of Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. at 1-613-260-1700 (ext. 222). You may also contact Passport Canada's public opinion research group by sending an email to PPTC-Request@pptc.gc.ca.
Public Inquiries:
1-800-567-6868
