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Passport
Clinics a Big Success - Thanks to the Guarantors!
Barry
Devolin Column (Jan 27)
Over
the past couple of weeks, my staff and I held our first Passport
Clinics in Lindsay, Beaverton and Haliburton. Given that this has
never been done before, we didn’t really know beforehand what kind
of response we would get.
As
it turns out, the response was terrific. Despite difficult winter
weather, we had more than 300 people in Lindsay, about 150 in
Beaverton and almost 200 in Haliburton.
The
only part of the process we cannot provide on-site is a
“guarantor” to sign your application. To be eligible, guarantors
must have known the applicant for at least two years and come from
an approved list that includes doctors, dentists, lawyers,
pharmacists, principals, police officers and postmasters (but not
MP’s!).
On
the days of our clinics, many people came in the morning, and then
went to find a guarantor so they could return completed forms to us
that same day. As a result, many potential guarantors in the towns
we visited were overwhelmed with passport applicants showing up on
their doorsteps that day.
On
behalf of myself and all the passport applicants, I want to thank
these guarantors for their patience and time. I hope that your day
was not disrupted too much – and I want you to know your efforts
were much appreciated.
The
positive response to our clinics – combined with the regular
traffic coming through my Lindsay constituency office – has
convinced me that many people want this service. As a result, I’ve
decided to hold more clinics in communities around the riding on an
ongoing basis (dates and locations to follow).
I
also realize that many people are unable to attend weekday clinics,
so we’ve scheduled another – the last one this winter – on
Saturday January 29 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Lindsay Square
Mall.
For
those unfamiliar with the process, you basically have two options:
visit an official Passport Office and get a passport back in less
than 2 weeks; or mail in your application to the Ottawa office in
4-6 weeks. (Please note the applications we process are treated as
mail-in, and the current turn-around time is almost 6 weeks.)
As
such, for those planning to travel during the March Break, my best
advice is to get an application form at the Post Office, my
constituency office, or our clinic on the 29th – then
visit an official Passport Office (the nearest office is at the
Scarborough Town Centre) to ensure that you get it back in time.
The
passport fee is $20 for a child less than 3 years of age; $35 for
children 3 to15; and $85 for anyone over 16 years of age. Payment
may be made by Visa, MasterCard or American Express or by certified
cheque or money order made out to the “Receiver General for
Canada”.
With
more Canadians applying for passports than ever before, I want to
make the process as convenient as possible in this large, rural
riding. That’s why I’ll continue holding passport clinics for as
long as there’s such a strong response.
For
more information, please call my office at (705) 324-2400 or (866)
688-9881 or visit my website at www.barrydevolin.ca
to find a link to the Passport Office under “Useful Links”.
Barry
Devolin MP
Haliburton-Kawartha
Lakes-Brock
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