Hello, bonjour, Aanii,

With the holiday season quickly approaching, the Greater Sudbury – Nickel Belt region has seen the return of many exciting in person activities. This includes the return of the Greater Sudbury Santa Clause Parade, the Capreol Santa Claus Parade and the Frosty Vendors Market in Garson.

The House of Commons also continues to be hard at work, supporting those most in need. Most notably, Bill C-31 received royal assent this month. This means that starting December 1st, eligible children under 12 can access the dental care they need through the interim Canada Dental Benefit. Stay tuned for more details on eligibility and where to apply.

Here is a glimpse of what happened in November 2022:

Press releases, funding, and engagement opportunities

• MP Serré and MP Lapointe announces Investment in the future of zero-emission transit in Sudbury
• Government of Canada announces funding to assist francophone organization relaunch programming in the West Nipissing region
• Canada Supports the Creation of 50 Affordable Housing Units in Sudbury
• October 2022 Community Update

Community Engagement

• MP Serré continued Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages functions and duties to protect and advance minority languages in the country
• Marc continues his role as Chair of ParlAmericas’ Canadian Section
• MP Serré announces extension to provide input about the removal of a federal seat from Northern Ontario
• MP Serré attends Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 553 in Chelmsford
• MP Serré conducts meeting with Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefevbre to discuss goals over the next four years
• MP Serré conducts meeting with Municipality of St.-Charles Mayor Paul Branconnier
• MP Serré met virtually with students from l’Académie virtuelle du CSC du NovelOn
• MP Serré joins MP Lapointe to announce a FedNor investment of $1 million to help Science North launch its Go Deeper project across Northern Ontario
• MP Serré joins Minister Hussen to announce a $2.5 Million Co-investment fund Canadian Mental Health Association
• MP Serré conducts meeting with Municipality of West Nipissing Mayor Kathleen Thorne to discuss goals for the next four years
• MP Serré attends Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Capreol Royal Canadian Legion
• MP Serré attends the Onaping Royal Canadian Legion Br. 503 Remembrance Day Ceremony
• MP Serré attends the Lockerby Legion Branch 564 Remembrance Day Service
• MP Serré attends the Our Lady of Sorrows 75th Anniversary Celebration

Supports for Seniors

After a lifetime of hard work, seniors deserve to live in dignity. Our government restored the age of eligibility for OAS/GIS to 65 after Conservative politicians increased it to 67, preventing 100,000 seniors from plunging into poverty.

Right now, many seniors are struggling with the rising cost of living, which is why one of the first things we did this fall was introduce measures to make life more affordable. 

We are:

• Doubling the GST Credit which means an extra $225 in the pockets of seniors on average, starting November 4th.
• Delivering $500 to nearly 2 million low-income renters who are struggling with the cost of housing, including seniors.
• Putting more money into the pockets of seniors by moving ahead with our commitment and increasing the OAS by 10% for seniors 75 and older, starting last July.

Multimedia

• MPs announce money for greener transit in Greater Sudbury
• Ottawa provides almost $2.5 million to help provide housing for vulnerable Sudburians

Passport Update:

Please note the Nickel Belt constituency office is facing a very high demand for passport application appointments. It is important to note we are not able to expedite any passport requests. Please call our office to book an appointment if you wish to have your passport application reviewed, 1-800-267-4829.

Or you can visit Service Canada locations below. General processing times are approximately eight weeks on average however that is not guaranteed. Special note, Passport applications cannot be submitted online.

• Service Canada 19 Lisgar Street, Main Floor Sudbury, Ontario
• Service Canada Canada Place 107 Shirreff Avenue, Suite 102 North Bay, Ontario

Service Canada offices across the country are experiencing a very high volume of passport applications which has affected the processing times. If you have submitted an application, you may check the status of your application online at: https://secure.cic.gc.ca/rs-vd/stat-eng.aspx

Find full details on renewals, simplified applications, and children’s passports at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports.html

You may apply at a Service Canada by visiting in person or by scheduling an appointment at https://eservices.canada.ca/en/reservation/application/?booking-privacy=true

If you submitted your application and are under 20 days away from your travel date you should check the status of your application https://secure.cic.gc.ca/rs-vd/stat-eng.aspx as you may need to request to have your application transferred to a passport issuing office by calling: 1-800-567-6868.

If you have imminent travel plans and are leaving within the next 45 days , you can visit the Sudbury Service Canada centre to receive a 10 day passport processing service. Proof of travel is required.

A passport transfer request can be made at any one of the 300 Service Canada centres across Canada. Transfer requests can be made if you applied by mail more than 20 business days ago or if you are traveling within the next 20 business days.

For Canadians who have not yet submitted a passport request and are traveling within 13 weeks they should visit the nearest Service Canada Centre – Passport Service office for service. Proof of urgency is required in these cases.