Service Canada Opens the Door to Improved Services for Canadians in Toronto, Ontario

September 14, 2005

(TORONTO, ONTARIO) - The official opening of Service Canada in communities across the country was announced today by the Minister for Service Canada and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC), Belinda Stronach, marking a tangible step forward in improving government services to Canadians. Also joining Minister Stronach at the official opening of the Service Canada Centre at Canada Quay, Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, were Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Joseph Volpe; Minister of Social Development, Ken Dryden; and local Member of Parliament and Minister of State (Families and Caregivers), Tony Ianno.

A simultaneous launch celebration took place at the Service Canada Centre in Verdun, Quebec, hosted by Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women, Liza Frulla.

Service Canada is serious about meeting its service commitment to Canadians. "Canadians have told us they want responsive, helpful and accountable service and we are meeting that objective," said Minister Stronach. A Service Charter explains to Canadians what they can expect and how they can provide feedback. The Service Canada Office of Client Satisfaction will enable citizens to register suggestions, compliments or complaints, and will ensure the right follow-up. "We are putting in place the means of ensuring that we can continue to hear their views on the quality of the service we are providing," said the Minister.

"As Canadians, when we need help, we don't know which government is the right one to contact and we do not care," said Minister Dryden. "We just want some number to call, some place to go, somebody to help us. This is what Service Canada is about. To make this happen will not be easy. But, as Canadians, we know that this is the right direction to go - one number to call, one website to click on, one office to visit. Some centres are already operating in this way, and operating well. Others will follow. And we will keep working at it."

Service Canada integrates services from a number of federal departments to form an easy-to-access service delivery network. These services touch all aspects of the lives of Canadians: from parental and pension benefits, to matching employers with job seekers, applying for a passport and obtaining a Social Insurance Number. Today, this network brings together 320 points of service in communities throughout Canada; a national 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232) telephone service providing Canadians with information about all federal government services; and a range of on-line services at servicecanada.gc.ca.

Across the country, Service Canada's more than 20,000 staff are ready: all front-line, processing and management staff have been specially-trained to provide a knowledgeable first point of contact for the Government of Canada and support one-stop service delivery. As we put Service Canada into place over the next year or two there will be no net job losses. What we are doing is reallocating resources from processing which is being automated to having more people serving Canadians directly - in our offices and through mobile outreach.

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In 2006, Service Canada's points of service will double, reaching 1.25 million more Canadians and giving access to many remote and rural communities previously under-served. One of the primary ways this will be done is through mobile outreach - scheduled or in response to a particular need -- by knowledgeable Service Canada representatives travelling to meet the special needs of individuals, employers, and organizations.

Service Canada has already put in place a number of service improvements which Canadians can access now:

• In addition to Passport Canada's existing service network, Canadians can now apply for passports in 23 Service Canada locations across the country, with 11 more locations becoming operational by year-end.
• Official-language minority support services provided through three centres in Manitoba are now part of Service Canada; similar initiatives are planned in other locations across Canada.
• In five pilot locations in Quebec and Alberta, individuals can now apply for and receive a Social Insurance Number (SIN) in one visit. A national roll-out of this service is planned for Spring 2006.
• The integrated 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232) call centre network, which answers 50 million calls per year, or 80 percent of calls to the Government of Canada, excluding those directed to Canada Post and the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Several new on-line services are now available. For example, individuals can now apply on-line for Employment Insurance benefits, as well as file all the necessary reports. Now, more than 90 percent of all initial EI applications are being submitted on-line. The 12 million Canadians who contribute to the Canada Pension Plan will now also be able to view their statement of contribution online and access useful tools which can help them with their retirement plans.
• Some 15,000 Canadian employers have taken advantage of using the convenient on-line Record of Employment service to send employment information to government, saving considerable time and effort.

Over the coming months, Canadians will continue to experience tangible improvements in service delivery. Service Canada is committed to ensuring Canadians know about its expanding presence, and will continue to communicate these important milestones in service improvement.

For more information, see backgrounders.

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