PSAC strike's impact on Passport Canada could spoil Manitoba man's trip to Stanley Cup Finals

A lucky Manitoban has won a hockey fan's trip of a lifetime to the Stanley Cup Finals, but one of the largest labour strikes in Canadian history could prevent him from going.

Hockey fan Ronald Ashe decided to buy a box of hockey cards from Tim Hortons in October, something he does every year.

The box contained around 100 packs, which he opened up with his 18-year-old son, Jonathon McLaren.

"We were down to the last three packs, and yeah, I opened up the pack, and then this thing popped up, a trip to the Stanley Cup finals," recalled Ashe.

Ashe had won a trip for two to a Stanley Cup Final game, including airfare and accommodations.

"It was very exciting," said Ashe. "I actually called three Tim Hortons just to see if it was true."

The prize card for a trip to a Stanley Cup Final game won by Ronald Ashe. (submitted photo)

With just three Canadian teams in the playoffs, the Stanley Cup Final could be held in the U.S., meaning Ashe and his son will likely need passports to cross the border.

Preparing to take his son to their first-ever NHL game, the pair renewed their passports in February.

While Ashe eventually got his in the mail, there was an issue with his son's application that delayed him getting the document, something they still need to receive.

"Three weeks in a row, they were saying it's all done, it's processed, we just got to mail it to you," said Ashe. "And then, like last Tuesday just before the strike, was the last time we phoned them, and they said, 'yup, going to mail it and everything."

With the Public Service Alliance of Canada now on strike, Ashe worries his son won't get his passport in time for the prize trip.

"Most domestic passport services are currently not available. Delays should be expected in the processing of passport applications during the current labour disruption," said Passport Canada in an email to CTV News.

Right now, people can only get passports domestically in emergency and humanitarian situations.

The criteria for emergency and humanitarian situations are passport clients at risk of financial hardship; passport clients who rely on travel as a source of employment, and their income security will be jeopardized; passport clients who must travel for medical reasons or have had a death or illness in the family; and, passport clients whose situation is deemed urgent on compassionate grounds.

Winnipeg's Passport Canada office is seen on April 27, 2023. (Image source: Mason DePatie/CTV News Winnipeg)

Marty Firestone, president of Travel Secure Inc., said even once the strike ends, there will likely be a large backlog.

"It's conceivable that close to 25,000 applications a day that would typically be looked at are now backed up eight, nine, 10, 11 days. You could be looking at hundreds of thousand applications that need to be processed," he said.

Firestone said the potential delays are making people needing passports wary of booking travel as they don't know when they'll be able to get a new one.

"So people are saying, 'I really have to question whether I even want to book a trip, whether I want to put a deposit down and what I should be doing?'"

Potential trips -- like Ashe's dream hockey journey in jeopardy.

"And we're like getting all excited, playoffs were starting, and then this happened. It's kind of deflating the balloon, if you want to call it," said Ashe.