Take a number, sit in line: Canada troubleshoots passport line chaos with a bulk order for chairs

For a authorities taking warmth, time is of the essence. The deadline for would-be suppliers to make bids is early Thursday afternoon, with supply to 2 areas in the Montreal space — together with a Passport Canada workplace — required by Friday.

Ottawa refuses to budge on the timeline.

“Due to the urgent requirement to provide chairs to passport offices we cannot extend the solicitation by one week,” reads a government response to at least one potential provider who requested for an extension.

On June 25, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s workplace introduced a new Cabinet task force dedicated to improving government services akin to serving to deal with passport and immigration wait occasions.

Critics, together with political opponents, have used the disaster to hammer the federal government. Many say Ottawa ought to have seen the passport backlog coming as Covid restrictions have been eased again.

The Trudeau authorities has insisted it’s working to repair the issues.

“There’s no easy solution,” Minister of Children, Families and Social Development Karina Gould informed reporters late final month. “There is a lot of work that has been done and there’s a lot more work that needs to be done.”

Last Thursday, Gould stated in a assertion that she remained “preoccupied with the long, stressful and uncomfortable waits” for Canadians making an attempt to get passports.

She stated the federal government had improved the conditions at some specialised passport websites in main cities. Gould added that employees on the bottom have been offering water for these ready in line and providing extra choices for restrooms.

“While I do not pretend to believe these small steps make the lengthy waits acceptable, I will continue to direct staff to do all they can to create a more hospitable environment,” she stated.