Service Canada connecting with Canadians

Service Canada is the Government of Canada’s new, easy-to-access, one-stop network of services that brings a broad range of federal programs and services under one umbrella to meet the needs of Canadians wherever they live.

Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to get help with a federal government program or service and not knowing where to go. Service Canada can answer your questions in three different ways – online, by phone or in person.

Online you can visit servicecanada.gc.ca and surf your way through many of the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada. The site is secure and it’s easy to use. You’ll find extensive information on Government of Canada benefits and services organized by various categories, including working-age adults, families, seniors, youth, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal people and new Canadians. The site is particularly helpful for information on employment insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, the Old Age Security Program or Canada Student Loans Program.

On the phone you can call 1 800-O-Canada (1 800 622-6232, TTY/TDD 1 800 926-9105) and speak directly with a custoer service representative who can give you instant access to information on every federal program or service. Each representative has been specially trained to use an extensive database to answer questions, direct callers and take orders for government publications and documents.

In person you can visit one of 320 service centres across Canada where staff have also been trained to handle the myriad of programs and services now offered by Service Canada.

Service Canada has also begun to take its services out into the community through its Outreach and Mobile Services program. Basically, the program gives access to government services and information to those Canadians living in remote, rural and northern communities that were previously underserved.

Whether it’s applying for a passport, applying for employment insurance, getting a pleasure craft licence or calculating your retirement income, to name just a few of the services now offered at Service Canada, Canadians are now getting more accessible and personalized service.

About Service Canada
Consider these interesting facts about Service Canada and the service it provides every year:

• Pays $65.7 billion in benefits to Canadians ($180 million per day)
• Receives 1.5 million requests for Social Insurance Numbers
• Responds to more than 25,000 e-mails
• Handles more than 65 million calls to the Government of Canada
• Mails more than 20 million letters
• Posts 800,000 job ads
• Interacts with more than 55,000 community organizations

Important Services
Here are some of the services Canadians can now access, often with one inquiry, at servicecanada.gc.ca, 1 800 O-Canada or in one of the 320 Service Centres across Canada:

• Employment Insurance
• Employment training and re-training
• Job ads
• Canada Pension Plan
• Old Age Security Plan
• Canada Student Loans Program
• Social Insurance Numbers
• Pleasure craft licences
• Youth services
• Services for Aboriginal Canadians
• Services for people with disabilities
• Passports (There are now thirty-five (35) Service Canada Centres where Canadians can apply for a passport. To find the centre nearest you, visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca in the Travel and Passport section.)

Service Canada is also taking its programs and services on the road to remote and northern communities.

For more information, check out servicecanada.gc.ca.