Canadian passports to cost more in 2013

OTTAWA—The cost of getting a Canadian passport is going up significantly in the new year.

Without the fee increases, Passport Canada would not be able to maintain current operations, let alone offer security-enhanced travel documents, the agency says.

New regulations posted this week confirm the cost of a five-year passport will increase to $120 from $87.

EPassports Canada: New Design Lacks Women, Diversity, Says Focus Group

OTTAWA - The iconic images on Canada's new passports, unveiled with fanfare last week, short-change women and multicultural communities, says a report ordered by Passport Canada.

The passport agency hired a survey firm to "disaster check" more than a dozen of the watermark images on the pages of new passports being introduced next year, to ensure nothing offensive would be released.

Chip-enhanced passports will be pricey

OTTAWA — Canada’s passports are being updated to include chip technology and watermark images designed to prevent fraud, but are also going to cost a lot more.

The new passports will have computer chips embedded — technology that’s already used in almost 100 other countries, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Friday.

Each blank page of the document will also contain watermarks depicting iconic images from Canadian history.