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Government of Canada announces important improvements to Passport services and the release of the first State of Service report

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Government guarantees passports in 30 days or it’s free

OTTAWA, ON, March 7, 2025 /CNW/ – Today, Minister of Citizens’ Services, Terry Beech released the first State of Service Report, a milestone in the Government of Canada’s commitment to service delivery excellence, efficiency, and accountability. Minister Beech also announced important enhancements to passport services: a new 30-business-day service guarantee, or your passport will be free, and the launch of online passport renewals.

State of Service Report Highlights

As part of the government’s commitment to transparency and efficiency, a new passport service guarantee is being introduced. Effective later this year, any complete passport application—whether submitted online, in person, or by mail—will be processed within 30 business days, or it will be free. If the government fails to process the application within that period, applicants will receive a full refund of their passport fees.

The Government of Canada is making significant progress in modernizing passport services to improve accessibility and convenience. In December 2024, the government began piloting online passport renewals, allowing eligible Canadians to renew their passports from the comfort of their homes.

Minister Beech also announced a new passport processing and print centre in Surrey, British Columbia; expanded 10-business day passport service to 24 Service Canada Centres since 2022, including in Iqaluit, NU and Yellowknife, NT, bringing the total to 60 locations; and the implementation of a full-service passport office in Charlottetown, PEI, in the near future.

Since its launch in December 2023, the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has received over 3.8 million applications, with 1.5 million Canadians already receiving care. The program is set to expand later in 2025 to include adults aged 18–64, ensuring more Canadians have access to essential dental services.

Enhancements to the Employment Insurance (EI) program have significantly improved efficiency. Call centre wait times have dropped from 18 minutes in 2022 to just 4 minutes today. The recently introduced EI Benefits Estimator processes approximately 4,500 transactions per day, helping Canadians understand their benefit entitlements more efficiently.

Advancements in EI processing automation have streamlined operations, with machine learning and AI automatically triaging 40,000 claims, processing 100,000 work items, and reducing workloads by 8,300 items per month.

Through the Benefit Delivery Modernization (BDM) programme, the government is upgrading decades-old infrastructure to ensure Canadians receive critical benefits like Old Age Security, Employment Insurance, and the Canada Pension Plan through a more secure and reliable system.

Social Insurance Number (SIN) automation is also transforming service delivery. The introduction of eSIN automation will create a fully digital SIN application process, reducing wait times from five days to under five minutes. Additionally, the SIN@Entry program, launching this year, will further simplify the process for newcomers to Canada, eliminating the need to stand in line at a Service Canada Centre.

Quotes

“Citizen’s Services was created to champion service excellence and to improve government efficiency. With new digital options including online passport renewals, SIN online and digital credentials, Canadians can expect to spend less time in line or waiting on hold. This means you don’t need to take time off work, find childcare or pay for parking to access government services. In fact, you will increasingly be able to access government services from anywhere in Canada 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our State of Service report demonstrates how we are focused on improving services for all Canadians while reducing the cost of government at the same time.”
Minister of Citizens’ Services, Terry Beech

“Our government is working to make services more efficient, affordable, and better suited to the needs of Canadians. We are modernizing service delivery and improving the passport program to reduce wait times and costs while ensuring Canadians can access the support they need without unnecessary barriers. This State of Service update provides Canadians with an opportunity to learn more about the improvements we are making to simplify their lives.”
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizens’ Services, the Honourable Stéphane Lauzon

Quick facts

The launch of the online Passport Status Checker has provided convenience to Canadians, with over 833,000 users tracking their applications without waiting on hold. Since 2021, passport issuance has surged by 315%, with 5.4 million passports expected to be issued in 2025.Since the launch of online passport renewals, nearly 1,000 Canadians have successfully renewed their passports online.There are 582 Service Canada points of service that offer passport services across Canada.For 2024–25, Service Canada expects to receive up to 5.74 million passport applications.Starting in March 2025, seniors aged 65 and up, children and persons with disabilities can apply to renew their existing dental benefits if they have filed their taxes and received their Notice of Assessment.The average wait time at the CDCP call centre is less than 35 seconds.The average wait time at the EI call centre has significantly improved (4 minutes) since 2022 (18 minutes).

Related Products

Citizens’ Services State of Service ReportVideo: One year of Citizens’ Services: Minister Beech on recent improvements & upcoming projects

Associated links

Backgrounder: Improvements to the Passport ProgramBackgrounder: State of Service ReportCanadian Dental Care PlanCanadian Digital ServiceAbout the Benefits Delivery Modernization programmeModernizing the passport issuance system through collaborationPassport Application Status Checker Canadian passports and travel documentsTravel advice and advisoriesFind a Service Canada OfficeWelcome to the eServiceCanada Appointment Booking Tool

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Caylent’s Valerie Henderson and Ann Carpenter Named to CRN’s 2026 Women of the Channel List

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CEO and CMO recognized amongst an elite subset of CRN’s Women of the Channel list

IRVINE, Calif., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caylent, an AI-first Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Tier Services Partner, announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized Caylent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Valerie Henderson and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Ann Carpenter, on the 2026 Women of the Channel Power 80 Solution Provider list, an elite subset of influential solution providers chosen from the CRN® 2026 Women of the Channel list.

The annual Power 80 Solution Provider list honors the most influential women in leadership at some of the country’s most prominent IT integrators, managed service providers, value-added resellers and consultants for their channel advocacy and dedication to helping their customers and technology partners thrive.

Val is known for her relentless focus on customer outcomes and for building high-impact teams that deliver measurable business value. As CEO and the leading visionary behind Caylent’s AI-first services, Val has been a driving force behind the company’s growth, completing key acquisitions of Trek10 and Pronetx, and scaling revenue more than five-fold in her current role and previously as president and CRO.

“This honor reflects the transformational work taking place at Caylent, as well as the undeniable force women are becoming across the channel,” said Val Henderson. “Together, we’re not just participating in the future of technology; we’re building it. I’m proud to be included amongst such an accomplished group of leaders.”

As CMO, Ann strengthens collaboration with AWS while positioning Caylent as a leader in cloud migration, modernization, and AI-first services. Her strategic vision combines revenue-focused marketing with partnership optimization, proving critical to Caylent’s growth trajectory.

“It’s inspiring to be included alongside so many influential women in the channel,” said Ann Carpenter. “This acknowledgment speaks to the strength of our partner community and the measurable impact we are creating for customers every day. At Caylent, that’s not aspirational, it’s what we do.”

This recognition reflects Caylent’s longstanding commitment to advancing women in technology and leadership. Women hold four of seven C-level positions at Caylent.

“It’s a privilege to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these women who are driving meaningful change across the IT channel,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN at The Channel Company. “Each honoree has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to bold, innovative strategies that fuel transformation, growth, and success for their organizations and the broader channel. We’re proud to recognize their impact and look forward to seeing how they continue to shape the future of our industry.”

Read more about Val and Ann’s recognition, as well other Women of the Channel honorees at crn.com/wotc.

About Caylent

Since 2015, Caylent has grown alongside organizations modernizing on AWS. Now, it is the operating partner they trust to build, run, and evolve intelligent systems at scale. As an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner, dedicated Anthropic partner, and AWS Managed Services Provider, with 10 Partner of the Year Awards including GenAI, Migration, and Security Consulting Partner of the Year in 2025, Caylent combines deep AWS expertise, proprietary IP, and an agentic delivery system to move organizations from ideas to impact, faster. www.caylent.com

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.

Follow The Channel Company: LinkedIn and X.

© 2026 The Channel Company, Inc. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/caylents-valerie-henderson-and-ann-carpenter-named-to-crns-2026-women-of-the-channel-list-302761430.html

SOURCE Caylent

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Display Week 2026: SunLED’s Near-Infrared Technology Turns Screens into Wellness Devices

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SunLED Life Science’s patented near-infrared technology brings the benefits of natural sunlight indoors and can be integrated into laptops, display monitors and smartphone cases, delivering targeted NIR light during screen time to support energy, mood, eye comfort, and overall well-being

LOS ANGELES and AMSTERDAM, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — SunLED Life Science, a health-centered technology startup, today announced plans to showcase its near-Infrared (NIR) technology that brings the benefits of natural sunlight indoors at Display Week 2026, from May 5-7, 2026, at the LA Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, Booth #446. SunLED’s patented near-infrared (NIR) technology can be easily integrated into computer and laptop screens, webcams, and other everyday devices, delivering a targeted dose of NIR light – the essential part of sunlight absent in indoor light – to users while they work. NIR light supports mood, energy levels, eye comfort, and overall well-being. SunLED Life Science will demo three new prototypes at Display Week 2026, including a display monitor, a laptop, and a smartphone case, demonstrating how SunLED’s patented NIR technology can be integrated into everyday devices.

“Our technology can be integrated into almost any screen-based product to improve the well-being of its users and fundamentally change indoor screen time for everyone, from children and employees to the elderly,” said Dr. Anne Berends, CEO, CTO and founder, SunLED Life Science.

Dr. Anne Berends will also speak at Display Week on May 7 at 9:10 AM during Session 63.3, Displays as Ambient Light Therapy: Health and Wellness Through Invisible NIR Integration, in room 409AB, and in the panel discussion Health Effects of Emissive Color in Displays (Session 65-3), on Thursday, May 7, from 11:10–11:50 AM.

All indoor lighting and displays lack NIR, an essential part of the solar spectrum that makes up 50% of sunlight. The average person spends 90% of their waking hours indoors and has seven hours of screen time, deprived of NIR light, which can lead to adverse health effects. As windows filter out NIR, even sunlight that passes through them cannot help address the growing global health issues caused by modern indoor lifestyles. Near-infrared light boosts cellular energy production by activating mitochondria, the ‘powerplant’ of the cell. Scientific literature has shown a range of health and well-being benefits of NIR, including improved eye comfort and reduced fatigue. SunLED Life Science’s patented NIR light technology is proven in clinical studies to enhance mood and energy, lower inflammation markers, and promote heart health.

SunLED Life Science Technology Integration.

SunLED Life Science’s patented technology integrates with computer and laptop screens, webcams, and car interiors. At Display Week 2026, SunLED Life Science will demo three prototypes that bring its patented NIR technology directly into everyday devices. The first two prototypes include a laptop and an external monitor with NIR LEDs built into the bezel—mirroring how webcams evolved from clip-ons to standard features. The third prototype is a smartphone case prototype that delivers NIR light to users during normal screen time, tapping into the device people use most. Together, the three prototypes demonstrate how SunLED’s NIR technology makes wellness effortless by integrating into the products people already rely on daily.

“Today’s modern lifestyle hinders people from exposure to the very driver of life on Earth – sunlight. Our ancestors spent centuries outdoors in the sun. We are spending time in the office or at home: working, studying, and enjoying our free time while looking at screens, we barely get the amount of sunlight our bodies need,” said Dr. Anne Berends, CTO and co-founder of SunLED. “Our technology can be integrated into almost any screen-based product to improve the well-being of its users and fundamentally change indoor screen time for everyone, from children and employees to the elderly. We envision a world where everyone has access to the benefits of natural sunlight even while indoors at work, at home, or driving in a vehicle.”

At Display Week, SunLED will also showcase SunBooster, an easy-to-use, USB-C-powered device that attaches to computer monitors and laptops. As the first near-infrared device designed for everyday use, SunBooster brings the wellness-supporting qualities of natural sunlight indoors, enabling users to integrate these benefits effortlessly into their daily routines. SunBooster has launched in the EU and will launch in the US market in May.

Contact sunled@wearemgp.com to set up a meeting at Display Week 2026 between May 5-7 in Los Angeles, access the Display Week Press Kit here, or learn more at https://sunled.health.

About SunLED Life Science

SunLED Life Science researches and develops lighting solutions that bring the health benefits of sunlight indoors. Our patented and scientifically proven Near-Infrared technology promotes health and well-being, and easily integrates into various devices, such as screens, luminaires, car dashboards, and more. We envision a world where everyone can access the benefits of natural sunlight indoors.

Founded in 2024, SunLED Life Science is a privately held company headquartered in Amsterdam. Follow SunLED Life Science on LinkedIn or learn more at https://sunled.health.

Media Contact

Mindy M. Hull, Mercury Global Partners for SunLED Life Science, 1 415 889 9977, sunled@wearemgp.com, https://sunled.health

Michael Held-Hernandez, Mercury Global Partners for SunLED Life Science, 1 480 306 1154, sunled@wearemgp.com, https://sunled.health

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/display-week-2026-sunleds-near-infrared-technology-turns-screens-into-wellness-devices-302761482.html

SOURCE SunLED Life Science

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New CiviClick Whitepaper: How DoorDash, DraftKings, Uber, and Rivian Are Winning Policy Fights by Mobilizing Real Stakeholders

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Two decades of Congressional Management Foundation research show individualized constituent communication outperforms paid advertising and lobbying – and a new whitepaper from CiviClick details how leading companies are closing the gap

WASHINGTON, May. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CiviClick, a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy software platform, today released a 48-page whitepaper examining how some of America’s most recognizable companies are winning state and federal policy fights by mobilizing employees, customers, and other real stakeholders to tell authentic stories to lawmakers. 

The whitepaper, titled “How Corporations Win Grassroots Advocacy Campaigns by Telling Authentic Stories,” draws on two decades of Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) research showing that individualized constituent communication is the single most influential form of advocacy on an undecided lawmaker — outperforming paid advertising, form emails, and even meetings with professional lobbyists. 

The research also surfaces a persistent gap. Ninety-one percent of congressional staff say district-specific impact information would help them advise their boss; only nine percent report receiving it frequently. Seventy-nine percent say personal constituent stories would help; only eighteen percent report receiving them regularly. 

“There is a massive gap between what lawmakers want to hear and what they actually receive,” said Chazz Clevinger, founder and CEO of CiviClick. “The companies that close that gap are the ones winning their policy fights. The ones that don’t are the ones writing checks to lobbyists and wondering why the bill still moved.” 

Four extended case studies 

The whitepaper details four corporate grassroots programs that have produced measurable legislative wins:

DoorDash’s DashRoots program has united more than 210,000 delivery professionals, merchants, and consumers across all 50 states. Recent wins include defeating a proposed delivery fee in Illinois and passing first-in-the-nation portable benefits legislation through the Wisconsin legislature.

DraftKings’ New York mobile sports betting campaign combined grassroots customer pressure, executive engagement, and direct lobbying to secure Governor Cuomo’s April 2021 inclusion of mobile wagering in the state budget – a multi-year effort the whitepaper presents as a masterclass in coalition design.

Uber’s city-by-city playbook for ridesharing legalization shows how technology companies can build scalable advocacy infrastructure that adapts to local political conditions across hundreds of municipalities.

Rivian’s 2026 Washington State breakthrough overturned a twelve-year dealer monopoly on direct EV sales after Rivian customers wrote personal messages to legislators about why they should be able to buy vehicles directly. Senate Bill 6354 passed 47-2 in the Senate and 84-9 in the House. The thesis “The common thread across all four case studies is that sustained victory requires more than direct lobbying,” Clevinger said. “It requires a standing network of authentic stakeholder advocates who can be activated quickly, speak credibly to lawmakers in their own words, and mobilize again for the next fight.” 

The whitepaper also examines how companies can bridge political divides by mobilizing stakeholders with different political orientations around shared policy goals, how to integrate corporate social responsibility with civic engagement, and how to overcome the most common participation obstacles in corporate grassroots programs. The full whitepaper is available for download at civiclick.com.

CiviClick is a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy software platform headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in Los Angeles. The platform helps organizations build campaign pages where real people can contact their elected and regulatory officials with personalized messages. CiviClick serves diverse groups across the partisan spectrum, including corporations, trade associations, nonprofits, and issue advocacy organizations. 

Founded in 2023 by Chazz Clevinger, a 13-year veteran of civic technology who previously worked at the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, CiviClick has been recognized with multiple AAPC, Pollie, and Reed Awards for advocacy technology.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-civiclick-whitepaper-how-doordash-draftkings-uber-and-rivian-are-winning-policy-fights-by-mobilizing-real-stakeholders-302761590.html

SOURCE CiviClick

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