People from across Canada flock to Fredericton passport office as their trips near
With delays for passport applications across the country, Service Canada in Fredericton saw long lines of over 100 people Monday morning.
People from Montreal and even further lined up in the sun for their chance at a quick passport process.
"I flew from Iqaluit, Nunavut, because my son's passport hasn't arrived yet from two months ago or three, almost three,” said Richard Caguioa.
He is headed to Florida with his family next week. He flew to Ottawa and drove from there to Fredericton in an effort to renew his youngest son’s passport so they can all go together.
Danford Diaz came from Montreal, he's planning to go to New York on Wednesday.
"I applied this morning and I have to come back tomorrow at 3 p.m. to get it,” said Diaz.
With the cost of gas, hotels and a rushed passport, vacation costs are adding up.
“It’s expensive, real expensive, I have to pay for the passport to have it quick,” Diaz said.
Even locally in the province, it's been a hassle.
Monday was Charlene Perry's third trip to Fredericton from Saint John, and she was told it could take two more before her son can travel to a Backstreet Boys concert with her next month.
"It's getting down there, and with the price of gas, it's not fun to be making four trips to Fredericton,” Perry said.
The minister responsible for passport services says she is directing Service Canada where passport-processing delays are most severe. More passport officers are coming, Karina Gould said Monday.
"In January, 600 people had been hired,” said Gould, minister of families, children and social development.
“We're in the process of hiring 600 more. It takes about 15 weeks to train a passport officer. The first class of trained processing officers will be in processing centers on Monday," Gould said.
The Service Canada office in Fredericton stopped giving out numbers for new clients just after noon today with so many already in line waiting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.