Service Canada exits Morris

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This article was published 01/05/2019 (1820 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Starting tomorrow, Morris residents will have to drive farther to get assistance from Service Canada, as the federal institution will no longer set up shop in the community every other Thursday.

For years, Service Canada operated what it calls a “scheduled outreach site,” or mobile service unit, out of the Community Futures Triple R office on Main Street.

Four weeks ago, Triple R’s general manager, Shelley Johnston, was informed that service would cease after May 2. Low customer volumes and the availability of full-service outlets within 50 kilometres were cited as factors in the decision, Johnston said.

St Pierre’s Service Canada Centre, located 39 kilometres from Morris, was recommended as an alternative. Similar centres are also located in Morden and Steinbach.

Service Canada is designed to be a single point of access to a variety of federal services and programs. Johnston said passport applications weren’t accepted in Morris, and other services migrated online, but clients could still make payments and get help filling out forms.

The staff serving Morris sometimes travelled from as far away as Selkirk, and were often hampered by personnel shortages or inclement weather.

“Some Thursdays that they were supposed to be here, they would call in in the morning and say they couldn’t send someone,” Johnston said.

Clients sometimes kept the staff busy all day, while other days were quieter, she said.

“I think people are a little bit frustrated that they’re not coming back.”

Service Canada plans to relocate its mobile service to Altona, a spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said via email.