Canada’s beauty is that it gives you the choice to state your birthplace or not on your passport.
Bambi proudly has Beirut, Lebanon. She could have also left it blank.
This being said, today she read about an Israeli-born young woman from Montreal who was told that she cannot have Israel written on her passport due to the political conflict.
Clearly and obviously, there seems to be incompetence in this statement.
Was it malicious? Was it someone not clever in geography? Was it overzealous?
It was surely un-Canadian, especially for a country claiming to be obsessed with “equity” among its citizens.
Of note, this young woman was born in Kfar Saba, which is in the central part of Israel (not in Palestine) (https://tinyurl.com/yw8h23m9; https://tinyurl.com/mrd5s8p4).
At the end, she pushed back, good for her, and the story ended with her birthplace on her passport (as it should be). Bambi’s burning questions are as follows: is this the only story or were other citizens told the same? And do government bureaucrats receive the same training?
I’m glad Bambi decided to cover this story. I point out the Passport Office also tolerated death threats against Jewish employees in the workplace and that the culprit in the matter of Valery Labranche v. Passport Office has never been found:
https://decisions.fpslreb-crtespf.gc.ca/fpslreb-crtespf/d/en/358553/1/document.do
Bambi thanks you Fred for your words and for sharing what you shared. It is sad and unacceptable to watch unfairess in any service, especially public one, and in any relationship (regardless of the person).
The decision is available in French also:
https://decisions.fpslreb-crtespf.gc.ca/fpslreb-crtespf/d/fr/item/358553/index.do
I cannot believe, this happened in Canada? The Canadian passport authorities are pushing back on her from saying Israel as her place of birth??? Just when I think nothing will surprise me… Horrid.
RE : YOUR Q : ON CANADA’S BUREAUCRATS …… I FIND THEM THE SAME ( I AM A VERY
LIMITED , BUT AWARE ) . I AVOID THEM WHEN POSSIBLE , BECAUSE THE ARROGANCE & SELF IMPORTANCE IS LOATHSOME ! THEIR POWER TO SET EVERY RULE IN THE SYSTEM AGAINST
CITIZENS , GLEEFULLY IS WELL DOCUMENTED , ALONG WITH YOUR LACK OF ABILITY FOR ANY
SATISFACTORY RECOURSE . IF YOU EVER WANT TO TEST THEM ….. BE READY FOR ENDLESS
GOVT. INTEREST IN AUDITING YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS , HEATING & PLUMBING , CONDO INS .
H W HEATER & FURNACE …. ANY LICENSE , PERMIT , OR OVERLOOKED FINES . OH , BE PREPARED FOR A VISIT FROM PEST CONTROL ….. AND GOD FORBID YOU HAVE GRASS SPRINKLERS IN
OPERATION OUTSIDE PROPER TIMES OR DATES .
TO THOSE WHO ASSISTED WITH THIS LITTLE OLD GUYS DRIVERS LICENSE AND MY
FINAL PASSPORT RENEWAL , NO OFFENCE INTENDED ……. Russ