“Mr. Cossette and I had a productive discussion but it’s clear that the cost of providing passport services to Canadians continues to rise and the current model of passport offices is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain,” said Cannan.

Are residents out of luck?

“No,” said Cannan. “I think Kelowna has a good chance of being part of whatever solution makes the most sense. The government is realistically looking at the demand in the Okanagan region and figuring out the most cost-efficient way to improve passport services. At the moment they are losing money on every passport they produce. At the current rate passport services will be unsustainable by 2008/2009. Volume alone though can’t fix the bottom line,” he said.

Cannan said passport officials are considering everything from integrating passports services into Service Canada offices to changing the renewal process so that personal documentation doesn’t need to be sent in with an application every time. “They are even looking at the potential of online services,” he said noting that the government is also facing additional pressures to improve and introduce new technology to address modern day security concerns.

“All these things cost money,” said Cannan. “Passport services are at a point where the delivery of them is being forced to change to keep up with the times and with the standards being set by other countries. The message I got today is that Passport Canada is trying to find the most cost-effective and efficient way to deliver this important service to the Okanagan while maintaining passport integrity and fiscal responsibility.”

“I’ll continue to talk with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and also meet with officials. We have planned to get together next month for an update and I’ll keep pushing for Kelowna and the Okanagan,” said Cannan. “One way or another, passport services are going to be improved for Valley residents,” he said.