The Canadian government said it’s doing its best to cope with a spike in demand for passports and long passport processing times. “With pandemic restrictions easing around the world, interest in travel is growing among Canadians, and demand for new or renewed passports is growing along with it,” officials in the Trudeau government said today. “Service Canada is experiencing increases in passport processing times, and is responding by prioritizing those travelling imminently and ensuring that those with less urgent needs can access the right service channels for them. “Service Canada’s ability to serve Canadians swiftly was affected by the unprecedented Read more
Ottawa
Toronto business leaders say urgent action from the Trudeau government in Ottawa is needed to fix the mess at Toronto Pearson Airport. Representatives from the Toronto Region Board of Trade, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, AccorHotels, and the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, came together today (May 12) to echo the Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s call to the federal government to urgently address government agency issues plaguing travellers at Toronto Pearson, Canada’s largest airport. The airport is facing mile-long lineups at customs and security the past couple weeks, and travellers are both frustrated and angry. Business leaders say the Read more
As COVID–19 restrictions are lifted and more and more Canadians look to travel abroad, the government of Canada says it’s making it easier to renew your passport. The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, today announced the expansion of the simplified renewal application process for Canadian passports. Beginning today, March 31, Canadians in Canada and abroad can now use the simplified process to renew an expired passport as long as it was issued within the last 15 years. The Trudeau government said the simplified process Read more
A new era has come for travel to Canada today (April 1, 2022). As of April 1, fully vaccinated residents and visitors coming into Canada no longer have to show a negative result from a COVID-19 test. That means Canadians can travel out of the country and not have to worry about finding an expensive COVID-19 test. They also don’t have to worry that they’ll be denied entry to the country because of a positive test result. It also means foreign visitors can avoid pricey tests and the worry of testing positive prior to their flight. Read more
The new travel rules for Canada should be a big help to tourism in border cities, but two Ontario mayors are angry that the rules aren’t changing until the start of next month. The Justin Trudeau government on Thursday said that fully vaccinated residents and visitors to Canada will no longer need to show a negative pre-arrival test result as of April 1. But the mayors of both Sarnia and Niagara Falls say the move should have taken effect right away. “Tell us a legitimate reason you can’t (end the testing requirements) tomorrow night,” Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley told the Read more
