VAL D'OR, QUEBEC, JANUARY 28, 2011-Canadian travellers now have more options when applying for a passport, announced the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a visit to the Val d'Or Service Canada Centre, the first of a continued expansion of our network of passport services across Canada.
"Val d'Or is an example of our commitment to serve Canadians with the services they need in the places they live," said Minister Cannon.
The government will build on the success. Two more Service Canada Centres, in Brossard and Longueuil, will offer passport services beginning Monday. This, along with the Edson, Alberta centre that began offering the service earlier this month, brings the total to 144 Service Canada locations accepting standard passport applications across Canada.
"Building on our successful experience here in Val d'Or, and to respond to increased demand for passports, these additional locations are a testament to our government's continued commitment to provide more convenient services for Canadians-especially those in remote areas," said Minister Cannon.
Service Canada staff will accept standard passport applications, review them for completeness and forward them to Passport Canada for processing. In addition, they will validate citizenship documents to ensure that applicants have provided an acceptable proof of Canadian citizenship, allowing them to retain their original documents. Any citizenship documents that cannot be validated on site will be forwarded to Passport Canada for further examination.
Service Canada offers single-window access to a wide range of Government of Canada programs and services for citizens through call centres, the Internet, and more than 600 points of service located across the country.
For more information on accepted proof of Canadian citizenship for passport applications, or to find your nearest Canadian passport service location, please visit passportcanada.gc.ca or contact Passport Canada by telephone at 1-800-567-6868, TTY: 1-866-255-7655.
For more information on Service Canada, please contact us by telephone at 1 800 O‑Canada (1‑800-622-6232), TTY: 1-800-926-9105, online at servicecanada.gc.ca, or in person at over 600 points of service in communities throughout Canada.
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This news release is available in alternative formats on request.
For further information (media only):
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada
819-994-5559
