A flood at Canada Place has left Edmonton’s main passport office closed since last week, and now some Albertans in need of urgent passport services are considering a drive to the Service Canada office in Calgary.
The Canada Place location was initially set to be closed until Monday, however Service Canada on Tuesday told Global News the passport office will now remain closed until further notice.
Other areas of Canada Place have since reopened.
While there are several Service Canada offices in Edmonton, the downtown passport office is the only site in northern Alberta where people can request — for an extra fee —.0 an urgent delivery (next business day). That site also processes express delivery (two to nine business days) and delivery in 10 business days.
The normal wait time is more than 20 days with the passport being delivered via Canada Post — which isn’t an option now, amid the Canada Post strike that’s gone on for nearly a month.
The three other Service Canada offices in Edmonton that can process non-urgent passport applications are located in the southeast inside Millbourne Market Mall, on the west end near 168th Street and 107th Avenue, and on the north side inside Londonderry Mall.
Last week, Service Canada said people who have applied at the Canada Place passport services office and are waiting to pick up their passports can do so at the Londonderry Mall office.
There have been long lines there, as Canadians work to get the document critical to international travel.
Global News spoke to a couple from Clyde, who drove an hour into Edmonton last week only to be turned away due to the flood. They returned to the city early on Tuesday and went to the Londonderry office.
“The line was long, it was really long – even at 8 a.m.,” said Lisa Paulson, whose family is travelling to New Orleans to see other family in three weeks from now. Paulson was able to pick up her son’s passport that was ready, but her husband waited in line all day to get same-day service.
“Hurry up and wait,” her husband Glenn Kubberunis said with a laugh. “It’s been okay. The people have been good. Everybody’s been fairly patient.”
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Paulson said some people were waiting in line for hours, only to be told to come back the next day.
She said it also seemed the situation was fluid.
“At first, if you wanted express, you had to pick up your passport in Calgary and now they’re talking about having them couriered here.
“So it’s been kind of a mess.”
Kubberunis didn’t file his paperwork in advance and while he is paying more upfront for rushed service, he feels more fortunate than those who are stuck in limbo and isn’t stressed about it.
“It’ll work out,” he said with a smile.
Others aren’t feeling so confident.
John Christiansen almost had to drive more than six hours from Cold Lake to pick up his wife’s passport in Calgary, in time for a previously planned trip to Mexico next week.
They got married a few years ago but just got around to filing the paperwork to change her name on her passport in October.
“We did it on the 21st of October, just do a name change on your passport update… and we’re stalled,” Christiansen said.
Christiansen said his passport was printed in Ontario, but it got stuck because of the strike.
Then, it was re-printed in Edmonton, but then the flood happened and the couple couldn’t go pick it up.
Now on Tuesday afternoon, Christiansen said he’s been told it will be re-printed once again in Calgary to then be couriered to Cold Lake.
Those willing to drive can get a passport in 10 business days from the Red Deer Service Canada Centre, or even faster via Calgary Centre Service Canada Centre and Passport Services in that city’s downtown core, and Sundance Service Canada Centre and Passport Services on the south side of Calgary.
Paulson said they debated the drive.
“We definitely discussed it and I was going to drive to Calgary just because we don’t have a choice, right? I mean, other than having to cancel our plans — which costs extra money.”
Service Canada said last month in anticipation of the impending postal strike, it put a temporary hold on mailing out passport packages after Nov. 8, to reduce the risk of having passports sitting in limbo at Canada Post distribution centres.
As of Dec. 1, approximately 185,000 passports that were printed and ready to be mailed are being held, Service Canada said. Those passports will be mailed out once the postal disruption is over and regular mail service resumes.
People can also call and request that their passport be transferred to one of the 60 Service Canada locations that offer pick-up service.
Those in urgent need are advised to contact the passport program at 1-800-567-6868 or visit a Service Canada Centre to request to have their documentation transferred to one of the 60 locations offering pick-up service.
Due to a high volume of requests, Service Canada said they are being triaged not on a first-come, first-serve basis, but rather based on the date of travel or need.
Paulson said that was her experience on Tuesday.
“They decide for you. You don’t get to pick,” she said.
Service Canada confirmed for clients requesting a transfer, the pick-up date is arranged based on their travel date or need.
“This could even be arranged for the same day for urgent situations. Proof of travel or need must be provided to obtain this service,” Service Canada said on Tuesday.
In some cases, people will have to pay a fee, depending on if they’ve been waiting a long time for their application to be processed.
There have been requests for approximately 6,500 passports to be transferred for pick-up at a Service Canada office since Dec. 1, the government agency said, which includes not only requests for passports being held due to the postal disruption, but also requests for other reasons.
Canadians who do not need a passport quickly can still apply in person at one of the nearly 600 Service Canada locations across the country.
Those who will be travelling in the next six weeks should apply for their passport as early as possible at a Service Canada point of service that offers 10-business day service to avoid any delays.
On Monday, Canada Post cautioned it was unlikely there would be a quick resolution to the labour dispute as it nears the four-week mark, saying the latest offers from the union representing striking postal workers took “major steps backwards.”
