Lines to renew passports at Service Canada in Toronto are snaking around city blocks

It's no secret that Toronto residents love waiting in line for stuff like baked goods or charcoal ice cream, however waiting in line for hours at the passport office is too much for anyone to handle.

Anyone walking through the city this week is likely to have noticed absolutely massive lines stretching outside of Passport Canada offices with dozens of people in queue as early as 4 a.m.

"I lined up for 3 days, today I was there at 4:28 (my partner actually) and 10 people were ahead of me already," resident Maral Karimi told blogTO.

"But the worse part is how they treat people, very disrespectful, completely disregarding everyone's time."

.@PassportCan is treating people like dirt!
We r lining up over 8hrs on a daily basis (since 5:30AM)in cold wind because of a backlog created by @serviceCanada & they don’t even have the decency to face us. They send security guards down do their dirty work.

This is my 2nd day! pic.twitter.com/n9JuuiJwmc

— Maral Karimi (@maralkay) April 12, 2022

Many people who waited in line for hours were turned away, and those that did get in claim that barely three kiosks were working with no urgency to help the dozens of waiting people.

"Service Canada recognizes that an increase in demand for passport services has resulted in lineups and longer wait times for service, and we understand the concern this may cause for clients," a Service Canada rep told blogTO.

"Every Service Canada Centre is required to follow safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of Canadians accessing in-person services. This includes following federally-mandated occupancy limitations. Consequently, walk in clients must wait for service outside the office rather than in our waiting rooms."

For residents looking to renew a passport that has been lost, stolen, damaged, or expired within the last 15 years, a simplified process has also been created to help avoid long wait times.

With travel being nearly impossible the past two years, there's been an influx of people looking to make up for lost time.

However, long lines at the passport office could keep hopeful travellers grounded for at least a few weeks longer.