Passport

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Hey Isabella Congradulations on future retirement ….! !! !

I agree that people shouldn’t waste gas/money, especially if they have very little money. I do drive/ride for more than just essential trips, but I can manage the expense. I drive a small car and ride a motorcycle - neither takes a lot of gas.. but it’s still expensive. $21 in gas in my car per 100km/60miles, $15 on the motorcycle. I do plan trips and run errands efficiently etc.

We’re not even flying anywhere. My father isn’t going to live very much longer and wants to take one last trip - a 2 week Alaskan cruise; Vancouver to Seward, then back to Vancouver again.

Also, most Canadians live near the US border. We used to just be able to use our drivers licences for ID there but the USA changer their laws and requires passports or enhanced drivers licences with rfid chips.

Government services do not require passports to access. I have never heard of that. Many people on social assistance (welfare) or disability do not have passports. Passports Are an excellent well accepted piece of ID, but they’re no required.

Drivers licences have addresses on them. BC Services Cards (provincial health card) do not. Yes, there is a such thing as Provincial ID. Here in BC it’s called “a BCID card” and has photo and address like a drivers licence and is issued at the same places you go to get drivers licences. Many young people, poor people, and people who simply don’t drive have them.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Social assistance and disability (welfare) are provincial. I was referring to some programs through the feds.

I’ve never heard of provincial ID but that’s cool if BC has it. I lost my DL for four years because of stroke and was never offered provincial ID as a replacement. I guess all provinces and territories are different.

I hope you get your passport and can enjoy a well deserved cruise with your dad. My grandmother did an Alaskan cruise and I still remember her beautiful photos (actually, slides.)

We're experiencing similar problems in Australia. Now that borders have opened up again there's a lot of pent up demand for international (and domestic) travel, which has caused huge delays for people who need to renew their passports. The government have had to hire and train more people to process the additional passport applications and answer queries at call centres.

F.

There are no appointments available in BC or Alberta or Manitoba.. the only place with available appointments that would be early enough to get an expedited passport are in Saskatoon.. and of course there are no inexpensive flights there, and the cheapest ones available don't allow for early morning travel and evening return the same day. So, if I go there I'd have to fly there and stay for a few days then fly back.. which would cost probably around $1500 or so in addition to the cost of getting an expedited passport.

I'm waiting for a phone call back from my neighbour for her advice as her daughter just navigated the process. There MIGHT be a way to do it locally - maybe.

My brother is still in the middle of trying to get his for his family's trip in less than 2 weeks.. was supposed to be processed already as they claim they're on pace for their promised delivery times - which is a lie. He sent them all original ID documents as required, too.. so doesn't have them to re-apply elsewhere and has to scramble via various government agencies to get new ID documents issued so he can use them to apply for emergency level urgent passports. He's pissed and filing formal complaints. He's familiar with the workings of the federal government due to his job in a different agency and figures this is all BS; Passport Canada should be working overtime/around the clock with additional staff from other agencies in order to clear the backlog vs. this complete and utter chaos.

Still not sure what I'm gonna do just yet besides freak the F out. About to take a quick drive down to the local Service Canada office to see if I can talk to someone at the front desk and at least get some answers about the process/best steps I can take to try to get this completed. There is a chance I might have to wait in line for 3 days straight OR pay my cousin to do so for me and then once given an idea of actual wait time go pop in line myself. Nucking Futs!

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

There's a huge backlog here too, but I emailed the passport office my flight dates and they sent it the next day. I applied at the start of may so it took about 7 weeks.

I might fly to Edmonton early one morning and just get in line outside and see if I can get seen same day.

Checking the gov't website they've began posting in person line-up wait times 3x daily. Thing is, the Edmonton office showed a 5 hour wait time this morning and 2h 45 mins this afternoon -> possibly realistic. The office closest to me showed a 0 minute wait time at Noon, which has to be BS because my brother was there and there were people waiting for 3 days. Then the next closest office downtown Vancouver claimed to have a 2 hour wait time.. but that can't be right -> Vancouver and surrounding areas have extremely high demand for passports because there are so many dual citizens/people with money resulting in massive pent up demand for passports and travel. I'm not really sure what my best course of action is tbh - but I Might just call family in Edmonton and see if they can even rip by the place and find out for me.. ? Wild.

Anyone here live in Edmonton that can check ?

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Maybe I'll..

Book an appointment in Saskatoon
Take a cheap flight to Edmonton early morning the day before
Wait in line in Edmonton early AM to see if I can get seen there in person
If I don't get in by 4pm, rent a car & drive to Saskatoon (525km) to be able to attend the appointment the next day
Then drive the rental car back to Deadmonton, return it, then hit the airport for a cheapie cheap standby flight back to Vansterdam

This is an actual plan A and plan B that could actually work..

Projected cost for flights, rental car, fuel approx $700. Hmmmmmmm. I have to give this some very serious thought over this weekend and see if that's my best course of action. It may be. And If I'm able to get it in Edmonton it'll reduce the cost by $500 or so. Hmmmmm.

_________________
No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.