Police called as anger boils over at Surrey, B.C., passport office
After spending days camping on the sidewalk outside Surrey’s Central City mall hoping to get an emergency passport in time for long weekend cross-border travel, several dozen people marched inside to the Service Canada office and demanded to be seen.
Along them was Kamal Kaur, who said: “They didn’t come call us in, nobody called us, so around 11 o’clock we decided to go inside.”
Discussions between that group and security guarding the door to the Service Canada office inside the mall got so heated, RCMP were called.
“The police got here and tried to calm down the crowd. The crowd let them know exactly what’s going on and how long they’ve been waiting,” said Avang Najarli, who had camped out for two days for her passport.
Const. Gurvinder Ghag with Surrey RCMP said officers were there to keep the peace. “Some people who were in line waiting to get their passports were frustrated with the wait times. Unfortunately that’s not something that we have control over,” Ghag said, urging patience.
Serena Vlassovoulis wasn’t surprised police were called. She spent Wednesday night and all day Thursday outside the Surrey passport office hoping to get documents for her trip to Las Vegas on Saturday, but left frustrated and empty handed. Others had been camping out there since Monday.
With time running out, Vlassovoulis decided to try her luck at the Vancouver passport office inside Sinclair Centre on Friday, which was taking some emergency last minute walk ins. Her flight is booked for 7 a.m. on Saturday.
“I did everything that was necessary to have my passport in time, and I definitely think the government has to do something about this whole situation and fast, because people are really fed up,” Vlassovoulis said, while sitting on the floor of the atrium outside Service Canada with a friend who also needs an emergency passport for their trip to Vegas, because the ones they ordered in March still haven’t arrived.
Just behind them in line, Cherie Watson, who’s booked on a Saturday flight to Mexico City for a long-awaited family celebration.
“I woke up this morning very discouraged. I’ve been here, this is my third day, and I’m tired, my body hurts, and I really want my passport,” said Watson.
She understands Service Canada is short staffed, but believes the federal government needs to do more to tackle the huge backlog of passport renewals.
“They knew that once they opened things up, people would want to travel and go home and see their loved ones. So they should have put other things into play here,” said Watson.
Everyone in line who had long weekend travel plans knew this was their last chance. Service Canada’s passport offices are now all closed until Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.