No, it’s not a concert lineup, it’s the passport wait in Surrey

A massive lineup could be seen at King George Boulevard in Surrey Friday morning just after dawn, but it wasn’t an event folks were waiting for.

“I think I used to do this for a rock concert back in the 70s but I never thought I’d have to do it for a Canadian passport,” Robert Henning said, as he waited in line outside the Service Canada office bright and early.

He showed up just after 5:30 a.m., and was 81st in line, behind many who brought camping chairs to wait out the hours before the office opened.

“I had no idea it was this busy, although I heard some rumours, but it is a mess,” he said, adding one person had been there since the office closed the night before.

“If you’re going to come here, come early,” he said.

Robert Henning (Right) and his family are hoping to travel in the next few weeks but are stuck in limbo with Service Canada. (Credit: Robert Henning)

Avary Vinciguerra and her friend are travelling on Monday to Mexico, and despite putting their passport renewals in the mail months ago, still hadn’t received their new ones.

“It hadn’t even been looked at,” she said. “Now I’m here, I was here at 5:00 a.m., hoping to get an expedited passport,” she said, adding that the trip is non-refundable.

“They could have handled it way better.”

Waiting for hours since 5:00 a.m., Avary Vinciguerra and her friend are hopeful they might still get to go to Mexico. (Robert Henning)

The lineups and frustrations have been constant in recent months, but the federal government is promising some hope.

Henning says he was encouraged to see Service Canada staff speak to people in line just after 7:30 a.m., providing welcomed instructions, prioritizing those who need their passports sooner.

Nope, not a wait for concert tickets. This is the lineup this morning in #SurreyBC for people trying to get their passports. One man says he was 81st in line and showed up at 5 a.m. pic.twitter.com/VYFWatDF9x

— Claire Fenton (@Ceeceefenton) June 24, 2022

“They’re guiding people that have already submitted their applications and mailed them in and didn’t get them in time, into one line,” he said. “Another line was for people that have brand new applications or are submitting applications for the first time.”

“They explained everything so well. And I truly need to complement those supervisors,” Henning said.

He credits the process with moving him along, and before 10:00 a.m. says he’s “optimistic.”

Related links:

• ‘Waits and uncertainty are unacceptable’: Minister Karina Gould

• Long Metro Vancouver waits for passports prompts B.C. woman to travel to Edmonton

It’s unclear if the changes were a preview of what’s to come on Monday, as Service Canada and federal Families Minister Karina Gould says a new system will be in place in Vancouver.

“Given the large crowds and lineups for passport services in urban centres, Service Canada is implementing new triage measures to provide a more intensive, client-specific approach. This work started earlier this week in Montreal, and with ongoing refinements, it should improve circumstances—especially the experience of those waiting in line. These measures were extended to Toronto and will be implemented in Vancouver beginning on Monday, June 27, as well as in other cities across the country,” a statement put out Thursday reads in part.

“Staff will be focused on clear communication to clients, prioritizing service to those with urgent travel needs within the following 24 to 48 hours. They will also be directing clients with longer term travel plans to the most appropriate service channels to ensure their passport needs are met and their travel is not interrupted,” the statement adds.

Gould says 200 more staff are coming to assist, from Canada Revenue Agency, as the tax filing season draws to a close.

“Service Canada has added staff, streamlined procedures and increased processing capacity to help deal with this unprecedented situation. However, significant challenges remain. I have directed that Service Canada continue to do more, and it is now implementing measures to make waits at specialized passport sites more predictable and manageable.