Four years ago, Canada’s passport processes were plagued by delays so severe that Canadians took to camping outside Service Canada offices to increase their chances of getting a resolution. Long lines and service delivery failures were symptoms of a broader issue stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across all levels, government focus shifted heavily toward enforcing public health measures, including rolling lockdowns and vaccine QR codes. For more than two years, government services pivoted to tackle the immediate crisis of the pandemic. These decisions were not without consequence.
When travel restrictions were lifted, Canadians flocked to renew their federal documentation with vigour, only to find the services they had traditionally relied on had broken under the weight of the pandemic. The federal government’s response to the situation was neither unique nor one bearing immediate consequences; rather, it chose to deploy a taskforce to identify and address the root causes along with a litany of other service delivery issues.
The stories of failed government service offerings is significant because it came at a time when the federal government had added more than 35,000 employees since the pandemic started in 2020. Roughly 79 of 84 departments had grown in size, including the Canada Revenue Agency, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada.
Numbers on their own are just that: statistics that exist in a vacuum. Combined with service delivery issues with passports, visas, and security lines, however, a clear pattern emerged of worsening services even as staffing levels were peaking.
Now, fast forward to 2026. This week, the federal government announced that all eligible Canadians will have the opportunity to renew their passports online. The announcement was simple. No grand splash or buzzy headlines announcing millions of dollars in spending on this or that project.
These types of announcements rarely carry the news cycle beyond 24-hours, but they do have real impacts for Canadians who have taken time off work to stand in line for several hours trying to navigate the humdrum of federal bureaucracy. For seniors or Canadians living in a rural area, these hurdles are only exacerbated as they wait for the postal service to deliver their documents or make the drive to the closest office in the event they are faced with an urgent situation.
The previous government failed to recognize the significance of executing basic service delivery and it certainly did not recognize the need to arm the federal public service with a mandate to execute such functions. By failing to do so, it also weakened trust in the very institutions tasked with developing and executing federal mandates.
The list of challenges that face Canadians can at times feel insurmountable. Access to reliable healthcare and affordability challenges top the list, yet both have no immediate policy solutions despite eye popping announcements from provincial and federal leaders.
There remains hope, however, that politicians are beginning to recognize a fundamental truth: a healthy, functioning democracy relies on getting the basics right. Only after this point can leaders begin to tackle the bigger issues.
Josie Sabatino is a Senior Consultant at Summa Strategies, focused on providing strategic insight and helping clients meet their objectives in an ever changing and complex political and regulatory environment. Prior to joining Summa, Josie spent nearly a decade in political communications and most recently served as the Director of Communications to the Hon. Erin O’Toole, former Leader of the Official Opposition.
