Milliken Report Fall 2007 Page 4

PASSPORT CANADA UPDATES

Simplified Passport Renewal

As of August 15, 2007, eligible Canadian citizens can renew their passport using a simplified process. Under the renewal program, passport applicants will only be required to submit the new shorter form along with two new photos, the application fee and their last passport. Online application forms can be printed from:

http://www.pptc.gc.ca/can/pol_on-line_form.aspx?lang=e

To be eligible to participate in this project, an applicant must

· live in Canada,

· have been at least 16 years of age at the time of their previous application,

· have a passport valid for five years issued after

January 31, 2002 in Canada, that has not been altered or damaged, or reported as lost or stolen,

· have lived in Canada and had a passport issued from Canada when their last passport was issued, and

· apply using the same name that appears on the previous (expiring/expired) passport.

· submit a completed form, the current fee, two new photos and their previous passport.

Passport Processing Time Frames

Passport offices can process in-person applications in 2 weeks plus the time required for delivery. You may encounter long line-ups before you meet with a passport officer.

My office remains ready and willing to forward your passport application to Passport Canada and to assist you with questions related to passports. My staff will be pleased to review your application.

Passport applications are sent via secured courier service on Wednesdays and Fridays each week. If you choose to send your application through my office, the hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Please allow up to 13 weeks for processing.

Processing times may change based on the volume of applications being received. Please visit the Passport Canada Web site at www.pptc.gc.ca or contact my office for any other questions.

Information for Permanent Residents

If you came to Canada as a permanent resident before June 2002 and are not a Canadian citizen, the Permanent Resident Card replaces your original landing papers. It is the only acceptable proof of your status as a permanent resident of Canada.

If you leave the country, you must show this document when you return to Canada by commercial carrier – plane, bus, train or boat. Without it you will not be allowed to board the carrier.

The permanent resident card is valid for five years. Check the expiry date on your card and apply for a new one at least four months before you travel.

Canadian citizens do not need Permanent Resident Cards.

You can Retrofit Your Home and Qualify for a Grant!

Thinking of ways to make your home more energy efficient? Here's what you can do to reduce your energy consumption and receive grants through ecoENERGY Retrofit.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is offering a new residential energy efficiency assessment service to owners of single family homes including detached, semi-detached and low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) that are no more than three storeys high. Under the ecoENERGY Retrofit program, property owners can qualify for federal grants by improving the energy efficiency of their homes, and reducing their home's impact on the environment.

NRCan-licensed energy advisors conduct a detailed on-site assessment of your home's energy use from the attic down to the basement. They then provide you with a personalized report, including a checklist of recommended retrofits to improve the energy efficiency of your home or MURB and, in some cases, to reduce water consumption. The report also shows the grant amounts for each eligible upgrade that you can receive by carrying out these energy saving improvements.

Visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm to find a list of improvements covered under ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes and the corresponding grant amounts. The maximum grant you can receive for a home or MURB is $5,000. Property owners of multiple residential buildings are eligible for up to $500,000 over the life of the program ending March 31, 2011.

To book an appointment with an NRCan-licensed energy advisor call 1-800-622-6232 (1-800-O-Canada)