PSAC strike: Maritimers feel impacts of federal strike

As 155,000 federal workers strike across Canada, Maritimers are feeling the effects.

At Halifax’s passport’s office, some travelers were able to pick already processed passports, others left empty-handed.

During the strike, Service Canada will only be processing domestic passport applications for emergency and humanitarian situations.

Tahirih Paul drove to the Halifax passport office from Cape Breton.

She planned to pay more money to fast-track her daughter’s passport renewal to take her to Disneyland next week.

On Wednesday she learned that couldn’t happen.

“I actually came up yesterday and I had the passport application but my husband didn’t sign it so I had to go all the way back to Cape Breton to get him to sign it,” she said, adding she is a strong supporter of public servants because she used to be one.

“I believe they do have the right to strike. I just I’m on the unfortunate end this time and I’ll have to activate my trip cancellation insurance,” Paul said.  

Paula MacDonald went to the passport office hoping to get hers renewed but left frustrated.

“I finally found a place to park in this Godforsaken one-way street area and I come all the way down here and I had no idea you would close down passport offices,” said MacDonald. “To me they’re essential service.”

The strike is happening at the height of tax season.

“What everybody is going to be concerned with is the refund. Will I get my refund?” said Keith MacIntyre, tax partner with Grant Thornton in Halifax.

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is bracing Canadians for delays, especially those filing taxes by paper.

MacIntyre believes the longer the strike goes on, the greater effects will face.

He says he is concerned about delays in GST refunds.

“As a taxpayer we want that check to occur. As a business person we do not want refunds being held up,” MacIntyre said. “So that will probably be the trickiest thing for the government.”