Nunavut athletes struggling to get passports in time for Arctic Winter Games: Idlout
Nunavut MP grills PM on added costs for Nunavummiut to get expedited passports
Nunavut MP Lori Idlout speaks in the House of Commons on Wednesday about the difficulties young Nunavut athletes are facing getting their passports in time for the Arctic Winter Games in Alaska in March. (Screenshot from CPAC)
Some Team Nunavut athletes are struggling to get expedited passports in time for the Arctic Winter Games in March, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
During question period, Idlout asked what the government is doing to help athletes from the territory secure their passports in time for the Games, which open March 10 in Alaska in the Mat-Su Valley.
Idlout said costs are adding up for the competitors because Service Canada locations in Nunavut do not process requests for expedited passports.
“Families are now forced to pay thousands of dollars to fly down south to get their passports expedited or not compete at all,” she said.
“Can the minister ensure Nunavut has access to the same services as the rest of Canada?”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded, saying the government is committed to working to resolve the issue.
“This is an issue that I know the minister is engaged with. We will look for solutions. We want to make sure that our young athletes show what they’re capable of at the Arctic Winter Games,” he said.
Responsibility for Canada’s passport program falls under Marc Miller, the federal minister of immigration, refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The 2024 Arctic Winter Games will run from March 10 to 16 in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley, north of Anchorage.
The games will bring together young Indigenous athletes from Nunavut, Nunavik, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), Northern Alberta and Sápmi (northern region of the Scandinavian Peninsula).
These athletes have known they were going for several months now. Takes no more than 1 month to get a passport made and shipped to nunavut. Not the federal govs fault their parents were too lazy to apply in time.
I know for our team, majority of passport applications were sent out asap. Then sent back by the passport office 2, sometimes 3 times by snail mail because there are no passport photo services in the communities, aaaaand, because NU does not issue birth certificates with parents names on them. And to apply for one takes months out of the Rankin office. What a challenge it’s been, parents/guardians are not lazy they are excited and proud of their kids and are trying their best so this opportunity isn’t missed.
That may be true for Iqaluit, but it’s definitely not that easy in communities. Passport photographers may be a dime a dozen where you come from, but not everywhere. It also takes weeks to get supporting documents mailed by the GN once they receive a payment also by mail because they don’t accept credit cards and yeah, some parents have trouble getting it all together, for lots of reasons. That’s okay because their kids still earned their spots on team Nunavut and deserve to go to AWG.
I understood all GN payments can be made via your local Government Liaison Officer (GLO) in every community?
Is this not the case in your community?
Only when he is at work.
Not every community has one that works every day or has the position filled. I didn’t know they could process payments for services there. Good to know.
I thought they accept photos you take with your phone. There’s a couple of apps for doing it.
It’s lack of resources in Nunavut not lazy parents.
I have lived in Nunavut.
These are the most hard working, responsible and resourceful people.
As remote area as they make their livelihood in,
Your remarks are very hurtful.
You should apologize to them and if you can, be helpful.
Best regards.
Seems you are unaware that US residents can cross back and forth thru Canada with only birth certificates; whereas we still need to get passports.
I’m still feeling for thr residents of Nunivut
Is a passport neccesary? I found this info on a site about Visiting the U.S. – Documents required for Canadian Citizens / Residents / Landed Immigrant to enter the U.S. and how long they can stay. Groups of Children: Canadian citizen children under age 19 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory and traveling with a school group, religious group, social/cultural organization, or sports team, may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
The group should provide, on organizational letterhead: The name of the group and supervising adult, a list of the children on the trip, the primary home address, phone number, date of birth, place of birth, and name of at least one parent or legal guardian for each child.
A written and signed statement of the supervising adult certifying that he or she has obtained parental or legal guardian consent for each participating child. https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-619?language=en_US
Key word “arriving by land or sea”.
Do you really think these young athletes will be driving 1000’s of kilometers through remote wilderness to anchorage ?
I was able to show my photo ID and other government issued cards and enter Kenai peninsula. Has that part changed? I hope the athletes get the passports.
I wonder how many applicants submitted complete packages by the required deadline? Deadlines and document skills are often a challenge in general, and seemingly more so in Nunavut.
It is difficult to get passports and drivers licences and other forms of ID in most communities in Nunavut. There is no good reason for this.
In the case of a passport naturally there are more checking etc due to the need for security and proper IDing and addition time would be required. But if a person can’t even get official Nunavut ID or a Driver Licence locally it just compounds the problem. Many communities don’t even have a camera that can take a proper picture much less a person/office capable of even processing any forms of ID. It pretty sad I think.
All true, and they all have nothing to do with passport services.
Getting a passport done properly in Nunavut is a major hassle, let alone trying to find a place to take a good quality approved photo. Our Service Canada offices, Motor Vehicles and or Hamlets should be providing this service to it’s residence. And you wonder why Nunavut is far behind other jurisdictions in Canada, it’s because lack of quality services and employees.
aboriginals/indigenous has right to cross boarders without passport? maybe we can work something out altogether here .I agree identification is important but for passports they can be used for longer period of trips such as overseas and across the boarders. .we need to keep out young healthy and opportunity .
The Jay Treaty rights you are referring to only apply to First Nations/Native Americans and not Inuit and require an enhanced tribal card or cert of indian status. They also only apply for land border crossings not airplane travel. Inuit should be fighting for a similar agreement to be able to visit family across inuit nunangat.
true on land vs air, not accurate on inuit vs other as cousins who is inuvialuit in western arctic use this often enough for crossing but also social security numbers and work purposes. us border requires confirmation of being “american indian” which they accept inuit if you have the right documentation
Partially true, but to qualify for Jay Treaty rights you must be able to prove you have at least 50% aboriginal blood. Since NTI doesn’t have blood quantum rules it’s very hard for some Nunavut Inuit to meet or prove US government requirements
NTI can provide confirmation of parents and grandparents to trace the 50% since enrolment began to confirm these purposes but not all will qualify. first nations have it easier because the gov indian registrar issues forms showing the family tree and US border and immigration are used to it. the border is always ymmv, passport is the easiest by far.
There are lots of people who claim Inuit ancestry, and are recognized as such by the Inuit orgs, who would not meet this requirement.
You don’t have to like it, but the Americans do get to make their rules.
The Gill sisters, despite being once recognized as inuit in canada would have never been able to be recognized as such in the US.
Maybe NTI could learn a thing or two about proper vetting for enrollment from our neighb(u)ors to the south?
Life in the north , everything done at the last minute .
Once it is done the last minute and they don’t get their way, they b#%@& and complain that they are being discriminated against. You all know you will be trying out or participating in AWG being held outside of Canada, begin the process of having your passport completed months in advance. Stop whining. Stop placing the blame on the Qallunaq’s. Stop looking for free handouts all the time just because we are Inuit.
It’s easy to get a drivers license, passport and even a Firearms possession licence photo done. Simply use your cell phone and one of the numerous passport photo sites online. Done within minutes for about 10 to 20 bucks.
It’s been known for years, if selected for AWG, you’d need a passport in hand before departure.
Many Members of Parliament and Senators advertise and commit to assisting constituents to access federal programs and services including help with passport applications.
It is a common request, and something that our federal representatives can actually help with given their presence in Ottawa, and their access to the federal bureaucracy.
Reading between the lines, it is possible to see what might be happening here. Our MP is being approached by quite a few constituents asking her to help expedite passports for AWG. Our Senator is retiring and probably not available to help, as he probably has in the past.
That means she is actually being approached to do something concrete on behalf of her constituents. She does not want to actually do something concrete because she thinks she is not in government, why should she?
This is just a big case of passing the buck that started being passed by the Nunavut coaches and sports officials setting up Team Nunavut who probably were not quick enough off the mark selecting teams and getting them ready for Alaska.
We can see how far our MP is willing to go to help; as far as it takes for her to take valuable time during question period to complain directly to the Prime Minister about a process that has been in place, essentially unchanged, for decades.
What a waste of tax payers time MP. You and everyone else have known for what? Two years that the games would be held in Alaska. Maybe as MP you should have been more proactive and advised athlete’s and parents that this would be necessary.
Now its Trudeau’s fault.
The MP must have know this was an issue for years in the territory especially with the lack of resources in the hamlets. Don’t fix it until it’s broken and then blame it on someone else.
The parents/coaches have known this for almost 1 year out that the athlete needs a passport to go to AWG in Alaska. Those who need expedited passport are purely doing it last minute thinking the government or someone owe them something because they are competing in AWG for Nunavut. This news piece reeks of entitlement.
Typical colonial system only serving the supreme class.
We botch everything up here, passports are now good for 10 years, get off your lazy butt and apply for one, rather than let the liberal puppet complain about the injustice we suffer everyday .
Simple solution.. Marc Miller can dedicate some of his staff to helping these kids get their passports in time.
Phone call or email would have sufficed. -Marc Miller probably
sporting evets are in 12 months cycles; plan a year ahead GN, get your acts together, this would enable participants years practice and documentations. Sports Nunavut, get your acts coordinated to sports cycles, this 12 months cycles would benefit all sportsmen….
Except this time GN did the right thing, there were many posts on social media about needing a passport. A quick search on facebook showed they started advertising teams needing a passport since May 3, 2023, perhaps even earlier than that if i were go to search through the postings. Plenty of time to apply for passport.
why partial year? No wonder you ppl get into trouble.
Definitely a halo of entitlement and privilege at work here, Expecting special considerations for passports, when they had all the time in the world to apply, is much like the CERB payments wherein many Nunavut residents thought they should be exempted from paying taxes on this income. It’s all about taking responsibility and planning ahead.
Now we all know that to go anywhere these days, requires a passport
Everyone should get that application processed for the future now and not wait for an event that will require it
And, while we are on the subject of ids for travel. Did you you know that a government PICTURE id is required to board a plane. A stat dec is not acceptable. Yes canadian north will let you on to fly to YK in my case. But if you have to go south and through security forget it. A government issued picture id is required.
PASSPORTS are the perfect identification for all…Apply for one.!