Question Period Note: ATHLETES REQUIRING PASSPORTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2024 ARCTIC GAMES BEING HELD IN ALASKA

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout raised in Parliament the lack of passport services available in Nunavut.

• The Service Canada Centre in Iqaluit offers a 20-business day passport service where passports are then mailed back to clients.

• Service Canada did a special passport clinic in Iqaluit from February 14 to 16 to assist athletes in obtaining a passport in time for the Arctic games where a total of 16 passport applications were received of which 12 were for athletes attending the Arctic Games.

• Service Canada also did a special passport clinic in Kuujjuaq from February 21 to 23 where 12 applications were received from athletes attending the Arctic Games.

• Since April 1, 2023, 5 consultation sessions were provided to community organizations and 4 information sessions were delivered to 39 citizens in Nunavut.

• Between April 1, 2023, and February 5, 2024, a total of 14,763 Passport applications have been received at 249 scheduled outreach sites.
• The fundamental guiding principle of the Scheduled Outreach Service is to expand the delivery of Government of Canada to locations not served by a permanent Service Canada Centre. Scheduled Outreach sites provide the same transactional services provided in SCCs.

• Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) activities are designed to help clients who face barriers in accessing Service Canada services through traditional ways. COLS staff aim to ease access to programs and services and to expand further the reach of Service Canada for clients who may not be able to travel, or those who may have difficulty accessing services online or by telephone. Service Canada COLS representatives provide information on the programs, services and benefits available and assist clients with applications through various activities such as information sessions, application intake clinics and participate in fairs/kiosks. This maximizes access to services by all.

• COLS have well-established relationships with 740 Indigenous communities and as part of our commitment to reconciliation we continue to find ways to improve access to government services and benefits by working collaboratively with communities and other key partners.

The Service Canada in-person network includes 316 Service Canada Centres, 249 Scheduled Outreach sites, and Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS).

Scheduled Outreach sites are supported by Service Canada staff who travel from a hub office to a pre-determined location on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly etc.) to provide access to the same transactional services than in Service Canada Centre with the exception of Biometric Collection services. On prearranged days, a host community partner provides a space for Service Canada staff to meet with the public.

The Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) program extends the reach of Service Canada to 97% of the population by visiting communities to provide access to services. COLS provides access to programs, services and benefits to clients where they live and/or spend time, with a focus on vulnerable clients facing distinct barriers to accessing benefits and services. The focus on engagement (liaison service) prior to Outreach activities ensures that the needs of a community or specific client segment are assessed. Outreach activities are then tailored to specific needs, to address barriers and maximize access by all clients.

Based on health and safety concerns, the 247 Service Canada Scheduled Outreach sites and all in-person outreach was suspended effective March 27, 2020. Scheduled Outreach sites started to resume services as of April 2022 following a phased approach. As of September 11, 2023, 239 of the 247 sites are reactivated and most of them offer passport services.

Community Outreach and Liaison Service in-person services gradually resumed starting in August 2022 mirroring the same approach as for the scheduled outreach sites. Outreach staff continues to deliver services virtually and through the Outreach support center in addition to their increased presence within communities.

• There is no dedicated Passport Office in Nunavut.

• The Service Canada Centre in Iqaluit offers Passport Services.

• Scheduled outreach sites include 249 locations across the country. They offer, on a scheduled basis, all the services available at a Service Canada Centre.