Good News (I hope) for Pardons
The pardon system has been in chaos for almost 2 years now. When Bill C23A passed in June 2010, it created a bottleneck at the Parole Board that has been getting worse with every passing day. When C10 was approved in March 2012, it seems to have dramatically improved Parole Board processing times for new record suspension applications. Many have been granted in under two months. We understand that this not fair to those who submitted their pardon applications under the old fee structure (some of whom have been waiting for close to 2 years now) but we are happy that the Board has recognized that their previous system was clearly broken.
More good news comes from the RCMP because it has really cleared up its backlog over the past few months and is now returning certified criminal records for pardons and waivers within a couple of weeks. This helps a lot.
We are extremely happy about these turnarounds and hope that they continue. With any luck, some of our clients could be seeing their criminal records cleared within 3 or 4 months!
Comments (45)
sara brown / July 2, 2012
What is happening to the applications that were submitted in 2011? How long are they taking?
chantal / July 30, 2012
Mine was submitted in april 2010 and still no news. I almost paid the entired fees (600$) and I received an email in febuaty to ask me more money cause the bord of Canada increase their fees up to 630$ !!!!
For my part the offence was not that serious. I used a credit card that didnt belong to me. So no drug, no sexual offence… Nothing that could take more time to be treated.
I want my money back. I’ll take an attorney instead,
Another point, when I met the people at Pardon association of Canada, they told me that it would be possible to cross the US Border with no problem. Today I received another email to tell me that I would need a weaver ! this paper is long to have a cost a lot of money ! I a bit tired of this false promesses.
Birgit Davidson / July 3, 2012
Hi Sara,
Unfortunately, it is taking the Parole Board a long time to process pardons that were submitted before March 2012. It depends on the details of a particular case but I would say that, on average, they are taking about a year to process them. Terrible, I know.
Birgit
anonymous / July 3, 2012
I spoke a PBC agent this morning regarding my application, which was submitted in November 2011. He told me the same thing that Birgit mentioned in her post, and suggested that my application won’t get looked at for several months.
He assured me that applications submitted prior to the fee increase are still being looked at, but a slower rate.
I should also point out — not sure if this matters to anyone else — that the Agent I spoke to was friendly, helpful and responsive.
I guess I’m just mentioning this because while the policies really suck and are hard to understand, the people implementing them are just doing what they’re told to do.
sara brown / July 4, 2012
My pardon application was submitted 16 months ago to the Parole Board and still it hasn’t been assigned to an agent?? Does anyone have an idea how much longer it could take?
Birgit Davidson / July 4, 2012
Hi Anonymous and Sara,
You are absolutely right, Anonymous: Parole Board employees are just doing their job.
Sara, I really can’t hazard a guess as to how long it will take but I can tell you the oldest application that I am waiting on was submitted June 2010. This person had a very serious record including sexual assault charges. In fact, all but 2 of the outstanding files that were submitted before November 2010 contain very serious criminal convictions. Hope that sheds some light…
Birgit
sean / July 8, 2012
mine was submitted january 2010 and stillno news i went to national pardon may17 2010 its like 26 months to have a pardon its rediculous
Tammy / July 12, 2012
so if my application went to the parole board Feb 2012 (with minnor ofence) I could be waiting until 2014????
Birgit Davidson / July 12, 2012
Hi Tammy,
If it was a minor offence, I doubt that they will take a full 2 years to process the application. My oldest files have been with the Board for 2 years and they are extremely serious charges (sexual assault, robbery, etc). I’m afraid all we can do is wait and see how this plays out.
Birgit
sara brown / July 12, 2012
My charge was an indictable offense – one drug charge March 2011. From your experience is this one of the catagories that may take 2 yrs waiting time once it reaches the Parole Board?
Birgit Davidson / July 12, 2012
Hi Sara,
The Board generally takes longer to grant pardons for indictable offences than for summary ones but the oldest files I have (the ones that are taking 2 years) are indictable offences that resulted in physical injuries.
I hope this helps!
Birgit
Dan / July 19, 2012
Hi there!! Is there any explanation to why they chose to make people that applied first wait longer. Not many things in life work that way. I applied and its been a year for 1 summary offense. I have another 5 months before I lose a really great job opportunity.
Fingers crossed, it’s a shame that’s what it comes down to. If the new ones are first I can only imagine how they are deciding to do the old ones.
Kyle Pistawka / July 20, 2012
Hi Dan,
I wish there was a valid or logical rational as to why the government is doing this, but frankly there isn’t one. Our organization agrees with you that this is completely unfair. Hopefully the government will see the error in this decision and make the appropriate changes.
Kyle
CV / August 1, 2012
Hello,
I’m on the same boat with many others here. I was arrested for drug trafficking in 2002, wasn’t convicted until 2005 (court delays) and officially have an indictable offense on my record.
Since the 2002 arrest I’ve completed two diplomas, had some pretty meaningful jobs and I’m trying to start a new career right now. However, my record keeps haunting me through criminal record checks by employers. I’ve had to quit a few jobs (pretty good ones) because I didn’t want to face the embarrassment of being exposed. Not to mention a countless other jobs that I’m fully qualified for but required a record check that I just didn’t apply to. I feel stationary, insignificant and dishonest with all the excuses I’ve made to leave good jobs in order to save face.
My pardons application was completed, sent (it was an ordeal getting the paperwork) and received by the government on April 11, 2011. I have since checked 6 times and most recently today…it still has NOT been assigned to a case officer. Why? What exactly is involved that takes so long to even assign it to somebody? Is it that difficult of a process? Are there only 4 people in charge of handling cases? Is it a work ethic issue?
I’m sorry for sounding a bit flustered. It just seems those of us with a record aren’t given a serious opportunity to get back on track with some momentum. It’s quite obvious Pardons aren’t a priority, rather it’s the gov’s way of giving the odd dog a bone every now and then for PR.
Is there someone in parliament that can champion an initiative to change how the PBoC operates, soon? Many of us messed up once, learned a lesson and are sincerely trying to move on. Why can’t the government take this seriously? I don’t want to jump from job to job anymore!
Kyle Pistawka / August 2, 2012
Hi CV,
I completly undertand your frustration. I wish that I could tell you why the government is taking so long to process applications, but I don’t know, and quite frankly I do not think there is any justifiable excuse for such delays. I would urge you to take a look at our latest blog post if you are interested in challanging the new laws.
http://www.nationalpardon.org/contest-the-new-pardon-laws/
Kyle
Gary / August 4, 2012
Unfortunately I have found myself amongst the individuals who had submitted their application under the OLD rules. When pardon businesses across Canada decided to capitalize on the impending bill C-10, I too believed that had best seize the day and clear the one charge that I had (over a decade ago) before it became a permanent fixture on my record. As I now know, the new system, with its prescribed timeline, would have actually been beneficial to me. Had I waited until the bill change to submit my application, chances are that it would have been completed by now!
I began my expedited application in March of 2011 and the Parole Board apparently confirmed that they had received it in October of 2011. I thought that I have been extremely patient throughout this process; however, a quick glance at the comments on this blog has me believing that I can anticipate waiting much longer. This is severely disappointing to say the least.
What I find perplexing is the fact that I am expected to believe that pardon agencies, with all of their political astuteness, were unaware of the ramifications that the changes in legislation would have concerning grandfathered applications. The fact that applicants are supposed to sit idly by, or even worse, lobby on behalf of the agencies that we hired is ridiculous at best. Furthermore, although it has been suggested to me by one of the agents of the NPC, I will not be contacting an MP to complain about my application. That, to me, would logically fall under the responsibilities of the agency that sold me an expedited application.
Please, for the sanity of individuals whose lives and careers hang in the balance, publish a concrete answer to the following question somewhere on this website: What are the submission dates on the completed grandfathered applications that you are now recieving from the Parole Board?
If the applications are in fact taking over two years at the Parole Board, perhaps it is in our best interests to withdraw our applications and to submit new ones under the new legislation.
CV / August 7, 2012
Hello,
I agree with Gary’s last comment.
Could I just pay the difference between the old and new fee (I paid $150 originally) and have my pardon process accelerated?
Is this possible at all?
Sincerely,
CV
Gary / August 8, 2012
Hello CV,
Before I say anything further I should note that I also have a 2 year College Diploma. Furthermore, I have currently finished 10 credits toward a B.A. I, like you, am not a career criminal by any means. That being said:
I refuse to believe that there is nothing that can be done to address the status of our applications. There is always something that can be done. However, I feel compelled to inform you that sending your info to Paulina Ayala may not be a wise decision.
You must understand that Ayala is an NDP MP. This makes her essentially redundant during the current Conservative majority government. Any PMB that she attempts to introduce will certainly be squashed before it even leaves the drawing board. The ONLY thing that she could attempt to do is try to use the media to drum up support. I don’t know about you but I’m not comfortable with the possibilty of my private information winding up being shown on “the National” one night. Or, perhaps Ayala uses the same confidentiality practices as “Elections Ontario” and after her term our information ends up being in the hands of whoever just happens to find it. Regardless, common sense would dictate that the fewer the people that have access to our information– the better. If the NDP had of formed the minority government perhaps I would consider contacting her but, at this point having an NDP MP fight for you is tantamount to going to court with the Duty Council as your attorney.
If I could go back in time 1.5 years I would obviously have taken the time to do some research regarding the changes to the Pardon legislation. Of course, I would have also waited until the omnibus bill passed before submitting my application. As it stands, our applications are sitting in a bureaucratic limbo while pardon agencies across Canada inform clients in the same boat as us that we are essentially screwed. This is unacceptable! I am confident that all of the pardon agencies across Canada were aware of what would happen after the bill passed. Of course, as we now know, pardon agencies neglected to inform their clients about the prospect of a bottleneck after the new record suspensions (with their prescribed timelines) were introduced. This is why I do attribute some of the responsibility to the agencies that we hired. Unfortunately, at the end of the day there are two words that apply to this situation–caveat emptor. Ultimately, I guess that we should have done our research before soliciting the services of a intermediary.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that, of course, the majority of the blame falls on the shoulders of the Canadian government. The current status of grandfathered pardon applications is in direct contravention of our right to due process. The fact that there were no time frames under the old system did hold water until the newer applications began to take precedence over ours. Also, the fact that we are eligible under the new system but our applications are being treated as second class is a horrendous violation of section 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
“Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination…”
Although it specifically addresses race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age and disabilities, the charter also clarifies that discrimination in the case of equality pertains to discrimination of ANY kind. Make no mistake, we ARE being discriminated against because we happened to pay less than the newer candidates. I urge everybody in the same situation as CV and myself to explore section 15(1) of the Charter. More particularly, pay close attention to the qualifying factors ie://”The Four Dimensions of Equality”. Clearly, by shuffling our applications to the bottom of the pile the Canadian government is ABSOLUTELY discriminating against those of us with grandfathered applications.
If the issue with the pardon applications is monetary, like CV, I am more than willing to cut a cheque for the remaining $550.00 to upgrade the status of my application.
CV / August 8, 2012
Hi Gary,
I never thought of being discriminated against but I’ve always felt like the system is designed to treat one-time offenders and career criminals the same. There is no distinguished process to award those like us. We’re treated as the rejects in the manufacturing process and tossed into a rusty bin.
I also felt like getting the paperwork for the pardon was punishment, sending the application in only to have it sent back twice because the application given to me by the police station was the old one and now the long wait to even HOPE that it is assigned to somebody. Basically, it has been 2.5 years from my gathering paperwork and now.
By the way, I put together my application myself. I couldn’t afford a third party to get everything together. No lawyer either. I was pretty stressed to say the least going to school and dealing with that.
As for doing something ourselves, Sad2BCanadian mentioned creating a website aimed at gathering numbers (people like us) and building awareness of the deliberately crippled pardons process. He needs help with compelling website verbage/caption and you seem well versed in that area.
http://www.nationalpardon.org/blog/pardon/contest-the-new-pardon-laws
I don’t know about you but I can’t get my new career going until I get that pardon. This may be a year or more from now…opportunities will continue to pass. I’m hoping your career is doing much better than mine.
Gary / August 9, 2012
Hello CV,
I believe that Sad2BCanadian is specifically interested in challenging all of the changes that were made to the pardon/record suspension system. While his/her initiative is admirable, I am more concerned with the status of the applications that were submitted under the old system. More particularly, the fact that newer applicants are being granted pardons (record suspensions) before we are even though our applications were submitted to the Parole Board first.
CV, I am not sure about your circumstances but applying for a record suspension after the bill change would have actually worked in my favour. Not only would I have still be eligible under the new parameters, but I would have actually had a tangible piece of evidence specifying when I could expect my application to be finished. What aggravates me further is reading the constant political bashing taking place on these sites. I’m not interested in hearing middlemen whine about the Conservatives when the changes that have been implemented would have actually sped things along for some of us. I waited 8 months for a background check from the RCMP, and from what I am hearing now, the wait is closer to 1 week! That sounds like an improvement to me. Furthermore, as I have stated numerous times, applications under the new system actually come with a proposed end-date!
The problem that I do have with the government is the fact that my application (and other grandfathered applications) have been shuffled to the bottom of the pile. This is basically like standing in line waiting for something for a year and then having someone come along and pay an increased fee–a chance that we were never offered– and then butting into line ahead of us. However, I maintain that one would be foolish to believe for a second that pardon agencies were unaware that this delay would happen to the older applications. You must understand that pardon agencies survive primarily by being “in the know” politically because a simple change in legislation could possibly be devastating to their business.
Anyway, before the bill changes were made, estimates from various internet sources had applications currently taking about 180 days from start to finish once they were verified by the Parole Board. My best guess has my personal pardon application gathering dust at the Parole Board for over 280 days. This difference represents an increase of about 76%!
This is unacceptable as far as I am concerned. I don’t care how much I paid. I could certainly pay $650.00 with no problem. In fact, I could pay $6500.00 if it was what it took. The issue is not the money but the fact that I never have not once been given the opportunity to expedite my application by bringing it up to par with the new ones.
I apologize to Anonymous from the postings above, but seriously?? If I could hazard a guess I would bet that you are an employee of either the NPC or the PBC. CV, I caution you and everyone else happening to be reading the information being presented on these blogs to consider the possibility that the postings being made by someone named “anonymous” are, in fact, not anonymous at all.
Cheers
CV / August 9, 2012
Hi Gary,
I have the same concerns as you. Admittedly, I didn’t look into future changes in the pardons process therefore I submitted it as soon as I thought possible. All I knew was that the fee was over $600 but was surprised to find out those under the new bill would be treated as first class.
My initial understanding was that the pardons were processed on a FIFO system. Now we’re FILO?! I’m really not sure how anybody making these decisions could possibly think that slipping our old system applications under the rug was perfectly fine. Weren’t the extra fees supposed to go towards more manpower for quicker processing?
I don’t know what to do. We don’t have a timeline, nobody assigned to our case, the gov doesn’t give a sh*t and change will most surely come slowly. By then, I would have missed out on some of the best years of my adulthood. Every time I call the pardons/clemency line, I’m absolutely blocked of all information. Like you, I would pay a heck of a lot more money if I knew this is how we’d be treated. I would have taken a loan or something.
Have you been able to get any answers directly from those Corrupticons?
Gary / August 9, 2012
Hi again CV,
Actually we are still operating on a FIFO system. Of course instead of “First in, First out”, the acronym now refers to “First in, F*ck off”.
Okay my friend, here is what I can tell you. Vic Toews hasn’t committed to anything other than exploring other options, and there is, as of this summer, a backlog of over 22, 000 grandfathered applications. This leaves us essentially screwed over big time. In fact, I would not be the least bit suprised if our current applications were not processed until sometime near the end of 2015.
CV, I urge you to pursue your interests regardless of your current situation. I am now employed by an organization that is aware of my record even though it is normally a disqualifying factor. Sometimes honesty does work, believe it or not. Also, if you’re having reservations about travelling, I can tell you that I have travelled extensively in the last few years. Although I haven’t been to the US since my conviction, I have been to numerous other countries and can tell you that you won’t have any problem visiting 99% of the planet.
Okay, back to the problem. Here is what I am thinking:
How about submitting a new application with the new fee? The mandatory one year waiting time between applications is almost over for us and the new application would have to be completed by the PBC under the currently prescribed time frame.
I wonder if this is a possibility???
anonymous / August 9, 2012
Gary,
At some point in the future (and hopefully for you sake, soon), you will reflect upon the last bit of your email and recognize just how…unhealthy you sound. There is no grand conspiracy to influence public opinion here, and I’m certainly not an employee of the government or any company even marginally linked to pardons.
If you’ll stroll down from the grassy knoll for a moment, I’ll be happy to tell you a few things that are, in fact, true:
1. I (and several other people, it seems) use the name ‘anonymous’ for the same reason you use the name “Gary” here — because this is really not the best place to publish self-identifying information. Would it somehow make things more credible for you if I used my first name? What if my name is Gary as well? Go ahead and call me that if you wish 🙂 I don’t see what that accomplishes for you, but hey. We’re all ghosts here, and first names are cheap.
2. Like most, if not all of the people here, I have spent countless hours — days, weeks, maybe even months — in various stages of despair, anger, anxiety, and hopelessness with respect to my criminal record; and *especially* this last summer, when I wasn’t sure if my application would even get to the PBC before the legislation change (it wouldn’t have outright prevented my application from being submitted, but it would have delayed it until 2016).
And throughout this time, which really goes back to 2004 when my charges were first filed and the miserable road ahead became (miserably) clearer, I have done my very best NOT to become bitter and resentful. I do not claim total success in this effort. There are times when the abject *unfairness* of this literally stops the air in my lungs. But then, there are times when I try and accept the situation, and play the hand I’m dealt.
When I contacted the PBC and inquired about the status of my application, I was in a (relatively) better place. I’m not looking for a parade, or to win Pardon Applicant of the Month honours. But instead of resenting me for NOT attacking PBC employees or twisting the knife over…and over…and over…you might actually want to take a page from my playbook.
And since you brought it up, and as long as we’re free to wildly speculate without any facts, evidence or proof (if we keep this up, we might even get elected as MPs, so maybe we’d better stop soon?), I for one do NOT believe that pardon companies — this one, and others — should have known (or, as you seem to imply, DID know but didn’t share) that applications submitted prior to the fee increase on February 23 would go to the bottom of the pile.
Do you really think that the people who work in these organizations want to field 50 calls a day (maybe more) from irate applicants, who now see a 6-12 month process turn into a 1-2 year process…or longer? It simply doesn’t add up. For both strategic and ethical reasons — take your pick, or pick both — that move wouldn’t be in their interest.
Apparently, according to you, only a “fool” would believe any of this — and that’s fine. I am indeed quite stupid when it comes to some things. For example, I don’t go on blogs and tell people who I disagree with — before I even have a chance to disagree with them — that they’re foolish.
I’m also not intelligent enough to try and stifle dialogue by hoisting up my Fool Stick, ready to whack anyone who dares to disagree with theories for which I have absolutely no evidence.
Maybe there’s a night school course I can take.
CV / August 9, 2012
Hey Gary,
For some reason, I knew you would say “First In, Frack Off.” I guess that’s probably because of how we feel.
Man, the mere mentioning of Vic Toews gets my blood boiling. That a-hole wants to construct more prison space, send summary offenders to jail, develop one-time offenders to repeat offenders, do nothing to rehab or grant pardons and act tough like some Harvey Dent. What’s with that douche anyways? Does he think his life is a TV show? Did he screw some guy over and wants to keep him and his entourage in jail for life? Toews has something up his azz and it has nothing to do with actually protecting citizens. Is there anyone keeping this prick in check? Or is the Conservative gov giving him free reign?
22,000!? I have an indictable, so I’m guessing my case will be collecting feces rather than dust. My application has been waiting for assignment for 16 months (Yeah, no one even opened my folder yet) so I guess I can submit a new one. It’s just that the paperwork was such torture to procure. Being realistic, how long do you think it will take to get a pardon with a new application? From beginning to end.
As for traveling, I haven’t left the country since ’03. I’ve had opportunities but because of the troubles of keeping quality jobs (because of my record), I’ve been pretty stingy with money. Friends assured me that the only real problem was entering the US. I do regret not traveling more. Now I want to leave the country temporarily just to prevent my mind from succumbing to the negativity.
I’m really happy your company didn’t treat your record as a reflection of you as a person. It’s a gamble and it worked out for you. It’s great to hear things like that. I’m jealous. The profession I went to school for needs access to secure facilities so I didn’t want to reveal myself. I’ve had to bail on a couple good ones. I just can’t risk my record exposed. So that’s why I have some degree of angst.
To Anonymous:
Do you happen to have any insight on sending a new application? A more concrete timeline (ex. 6 months) or something? What exactly made you feel better after speaking with the CSR? If our old applications haven’t been set on fire yet, it most certainly will be buried their cellar. Therefore, I agree with Gary in which this might be our best alternative, moving forward.
Oh, you may want to change your name so I don’t confuse you with the other, less verbose Anonymous posters. And like you, I’m still struggling with despair and hopeless feelings.
Gary / August 10, 2012
Hello Anonymous,
How exactly does the end of my e-mail (what e-mail?) sound… unhealthy? That is a cute over-dramatization.
I am not on the grassy knoll; I am standing at the back of the pardons line.
1. If you are not an employee, or the owner, of the NPC, perhaps you should see to it that you are placed directly on the payroll. The fact that many of the uncomfortable postings on this blog are addressed by you is highly commendable. You really should think about identifying yourself as I am sure that they would likely consider hiring you full-time to answer the tough questions on their blog. Also, I use the name “Gary” because it is my real name; while you, on the other hand use “anonymous” because you are attempting to shield your identity. If you are in fact an actual customer, your anonymity speaks volumes about how you’ve accepted responsibility for your past behaviour.
2. An inherent part of a free-enterprise system is customer perception. If you are free to toot the horn of any company that you have supposedly hired, I am certainly free to feel however I please. I am not “twisting the knife over and over” as you’ve said; I am merely reinstating what I do believe to be a fact. Am I not free to do so? Furthermore, your sensitivity regarding the plight of the NPC employees is uncharacteristic of an actual customer. Please stop the charade. Actual customers would not be able to even hazard a guess about the volume of irate applicants.
Anonymous, your attempt at being condescending, although certainly poor, is not lost on me 🙂 Exactly how am I trying to stifle dialogue? CV and I have been having a great discussion.
Finally, if you do attempt night school, I suggest an English course right off of the bat. The last part of your post was a direct question and it is missing its end quotation.
Cheers,
Gary
Gary / August 10, 2012
CV,
Allow me to illustrate the character of our Minister of Public Safety, Mr. Vic Toews:
1. Mr. Toews was divorced from his wife of over 30 years after he had an affair and fathered a child with a woman young enough to be his daughter.
2. Mr. Toews himself has actually been convicted of a summary offense. Toews pled guillty to violating the Manitoba Elections Finances Act after exceeding the allocated campaign limit by $7500.00. For this he was fined $500.00.
Check out Mr. Toews history sometime. He is most certainly a colourful character.
Regarding our pardons:
My sole conviction is also for an indictable offense so I can somewhat understand how you must be feeling.
I figure that, with the backlog at the RCMP gone, we could probably reassemble our paperwork within 1.5 months. Once our application is received by the PBC it will be then completed within 12 months. This puts the entire wait time at 13.5 months. Not great, but certainly better than the 2+ years that we are currently facing.
Yes, I do believe that moving forward may be our best option.
Cheers,
Gary
anonymous / August 10, 2012
Gary (if that IS your real name…)
You know, I was about click “submit comment” on a lengthy reply that took turns disassembling both your arguments and this thing you call a personality…but then I juts couldn’t. Something held me back. Something called the TRUTH.
You are 100% correct. In fact, you are more than 100% correct.
You see, I am not merely an employee of the PBC. I am, in fact, Vic Toews.
And, while on my summer holidays (later me and Rob Nicholson are going on the slip and slide, and then I might go to Baskin Robbins with Jason Kennedy), I am using a Commodore-64 at my local library to write this.
I only have two requests, please:
1. The tin foil hat that I received is a bit too tight, and I found that wearing it for extended periods of time started to cut oxygen to my brain. You may want to adjust your tinfoil hat accordingly.
2. The fat man walks along at midnight. I repeat: the fat man walks alone at midnight.
I wish you well, my comrade. Say hi to Frank “Grimey” Grimes at the next meeting of Pedantics (un) Anonymous.
Gary / August 10, 2012
Dear Anonymous,
1. I maintain that you are 100% affiliated with the National Pardon Centre, not the PBC.
2. My name is Gary. Why don’t you just open the filing cabinet beside you and verify it?
3. How about we don’t pretend for a moment that you had an intelligent retort for any of my arguments.
Congratulations for constructing such a witty reply. I commend you for your valiant effort. Your colleagues at the office must be spilling coffee over themselves and laughing merrily at the expense of a paying customer. I mean let’s face it, what do you care? You’ve already got my money.
Your response, as patronizing and insulting as it is, is also indicative of the fact that you are who I say that you are. Your liberal use of parenthesis also betrays your anonymity. We both know that you are not a customer by any means. It’s baffling to me that the rebuttal I get to face for questioning a business practice consists of a full blown attack on my personality.
BTW, I believe that you meant to say Pedanticism UnAnonymous. Was there no money in the office budget for a dictionary?
You did (for a moment) accomplish your goal of getting under my skin. Nevertheless, I better get used to it as I am sure that you will no doubt have replies to the 500 more posts I will be constructing for the readers of this blog. I tell ya, It’s a good thing that I am on holidays.
Cheers,
Gary
CV / August 10, 2012
Hi Gary,
I can live with that 13.5 months although it is, like you said, still ridiculous especially because we’ve been screwed once already. It’s not like we have any other options. It’s just a bit disheartening because I can never speak with anyone directly from the PBC who can remotely help me. It’s obvious we’re deliberately stonewalled of knowledge. It’s like we’re dealing with the Vatican.
I’ll try get my hands on the most recent pardon application and take a gander at what other surprises lay in there. The last time they handed me an ancient one which delayed the paperwork. I will also call the pardons/clemency line and ask some of the same stuff we went over here…Monday of course.
I’d love to chime in on the banter you guys are having but I got lost a little bit before and definitely after the mentioning of tin foil hats? Haha…I just immediately thought of the movie ‘Signs.’
Your application is near the one year mark in October so at least you can get on it soon. I waited and waited, then waited some more. Waited 4 months too long. I’m glad we’re discussing this because I can’t get honest answers, or anything helpful from anyone else.
Enjoy the weekend. I’ll stop my whining for now.
To Michael Ashby:
If you and your associates have any new info or info that contradicts what we’ve been discussing, please by all means join in. Any help would be appreciated.
CV
Gary / August 10, 2012
CV,
I spoke with an agent at the Parole Board this morning. Here is what I was told that we can now do:
1. Obtain a new application form from: http://www.recordsuspension.gc.ca
2. Seperate and fill out only the 2 pages on the form containing info regarding previous addresses and offences and what not. They are numbered 1 of 2, and 2 of 2.
3. Write a short note stating that there is already an application submitted under your name but it is under the old legislation. Then clarify that you would like to upgrade it to the status of a new application. You do NOT need to resubmit any of the supporting documents as they will only be amending an already existing application, not creating a new one.
4. Include the entire new fee of $631.00 CAD. I know the money thing blows but this is what I was told is the only option we have for upgrading an application. I guess that we just lose our original $150.00 fee payment.
I hope that this helps you somewhat. Also, if it makes you feel more comfortable, give the Parole Board a call just to verify that what I just written is accurate. Like I said, this is what I was told by an actual agent of the Parole Board earlier on today.
Cheers,
Gary
Not Gary / August 11, 2012
Gary,
Getting under your skin is hardly an Olympic event. You are so nakedly transparent that I’m not actually writing this to you — I’m writing this to everyone else who is joining me in wondering whether you’ll, one day, get the help you need. Seriously.
It’s also *hysterical* that you would respond to being called a pedant by…wait for it…BEING PEDANTIC. I’m sure you’re a hit at parties (when people don’t mistake you for the coat rack).
And as long as we’re playing “who has the dictionary” — it’s supposed to be Pedantic’s Anonymous. See Gary, even when you try and win…you lose. It’s quite pathetic, really. Maybe we should start a telethon? Won’t someone please think of the children?
(I) (also) (find) (your) (detection) (skills) (amusing) (with) (respect) (to) (the) (use) (of) (parenthesis) (have) (you) (considered) (becoming) (a) (private) (investigator) (?)
I can keep this up all day, every day if you wish. You are hardly worthy competition. And what’s more, you’re *terrified* of looking foolish — which is why you’re so insistent on making those who disagree with you look foolish. If you want to find out what scares someone, just pay attention to what they try and use to frighten other people.
Thing is “Gary” (there is no point for this bracket, I’m just MESSIN’ WID YA!), I don’t mind looking foolish at all. It’s not my end game. I don’t re-read my posts here and ensure that my grammar is spot on with exacting certainty. I don’t really care.
What I really care about is amusing and entertaining everyone else here who is looking at you and going: Wow, this guy is just going in deeper with every post.
All that remains to be seen is how much further you’ll go to redeem your bruised ego.
Know when you are beaten, son. That demonstration of wisdom may save you.
But I doubt it.
(BRACKET)
Gary / August 11, 2012
Anonymous,
At least we’re fortunate enough to have one of us operate with a degree of transparency. I mean, let’s face it, if you were transparent your customers would probably all realize that they will be waiting for an awful long time (perhaps half of a decade) to receive their pardon.
You’re right, I may have responded by being meticulous, but you also responded by being insulting and condescending. Again, this behavior is typical of someone who doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Once more, I have yet to attack your personality, yet you consistently resort to attacking my character.
We could play the dictionary game. For instance, I could point out your failure to differentiate between brackets and parenthesis; however, I, unlike you, am not paid to communicate with customers for a living. I am not soliciting business, and then scolding customers for being critical.
I don’t know why you are threatening me repeatedly, and what you are threatening me with, but it is really quite laughable. What exactly are you implying by me saving myself, or by me realizing something before it’s too late, or by going deeper? Why don’t you put a name on your threats? Are you worried that you’ll lose potential customers?
I was going to post my opinion regarding your service in multiple places on this blog to inform others of your method of operating; however, after careful consideration, I’ve decided on a different course of action. I will be filing a complaint with the BBB, and moving on. I have already informed the PBC that you are no longer acting on my behalf and told them not to release any info to you. Of course, we both know that they no longer release decisions to you anyways. Have you told your clients about this?
Hopefully you do accomplish your goal of amusing folks who may be reading your witty anecdotes. Something needed to be done to appease the disgruntled customers from above. Man, there seems to be a lot of people on this blog who are annoyed with your service. I mean, the only happy customer anywhere is “Anonymous”, which, you have yet to deny is “You”, an owner (or employee) of the NPC.
I have enjoyed the banter. I thank you for the opportunity to confirm my suspicions, and I wish you well in the future. Just because your service is crap, your advice is pitiful, and your business is the Canadian equivalent of its American “ambulance-chasing” counterparts, does not mean that you will not achieve success. I mean somebody has to exploit people who are embarrassed about their past and it might as well be you.
I will not be responding to anymore of your postings so be sure to end on a strong note. If you feel the need to threaten me further, we both know that you know how you can contact me.
Cheers,
Gary
CV / August 12, 2012
Hey Gary,
Thanks for all that information on your last post addressed to me. Much appreciated. I will call them Monday to make sure we get the same responses. Not that I don’t trust you.
When you’re referring to the 2 pages about previous/current addresses and offenses, I’m assuming you are talking about the 2 “Record Suspension Application Form” pages?
If those are the only real pages we need to fill in, I am a little more relieved since I don’t have to get the Police Record Check and Court Info forms filled again. Those took a long time. And you’re right, putting in $150 for absolutely nothing does burn but when we’re dealing with the gov’ I guess we’ll always be on the losing end. I’m starting to accept this fact. I just wish they didn’t make us feel so helpless. Like we’re begging.
I’m just glad we’re amending an existing application and not submitting a new one because that would mean we’d have to wait another 5 years because of the new 10 year waiting period. Could you imagine that?
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
CV
Gary / August 12, 2012
CV,
Unfortunately, I think that in order to amend your application you must be eligible under the new law. My record is from over a decade ago so I can do this. Hopefully yours is as well. If not, you may have to just continue waiting. What a nightmare.
Cheers,
Gary
CV / August 12, 2012
Hi Gary,
I wasn’t convicted until 2005, the arrest was in 2002.
So, I guess I’m still screwed and now with no options.
Fuck!
chris / August 13, 2012
hi!
they received my application in September 2011 and I still have not received an answer … I called and they told me that it could take another year???!!!!
your customers wait how long?
Kyle Pistawka / August 13, 2012
Hi Chris,
Unfortunatley everyone is in the same boat and are having to wait a long time for the government to process their applications. I know it is frustrating but believe me when I say you are not the only one.
Kind Regards,
Kyle
Irritated / March 1, 2013
We filed with Pardons Canada Feb. 2011, paid old fees in the beginning. After the new fees came in, Pardons told me I needed to pay the new fees. But, what confused me, I paid all expenses prior to new fees, 1 yr prior as a matter of fact. Because, our file was not yet on Parole Boards desk when new fees were implemented, we had to come up with the new $631. Pardons Canada dragged their feet to get us to Board, meaning, waiting on documents for 2 months to get to their office, but me getting so frustrated, I called court houses myself and found, docs. were already sent to Pardons months before. Our file, has now been at Parole board since November 2012. Our dilemma, we were told it would take 7 to 16 months to complete so we filed a sponsorship(family class). Time is running out. We are at the last stages of Sponsor and without the Pardon were in trouble. My husband and I cannot be together, therefore will be denied. From start to now, Feb.2011 to this date, March 2013. How much longer? I paid new fees!!
Does anyone know or can relate?
Impatient
Michael Ashby / March 1, 2013
Hi There,
You are not the only one in this boat. I can’t say whether or not Pardons Canada did or didn’t do anything wrong but the delay is largely caused by the Conservative government. You may want to read the following to get a better understanding on what is happening with pardons these days.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/2013/02/03/ottawas_anticrime_agenda_hurts_canadians_looking_for_a_new_start.html
http://pbc-clcc.gc.ca/prdons/backlog-eng.shtml
Jim / June 12, 2013
What is this new $631 fee that I read the Parole Board of Canada implemented increasing processing fees from $150 to $631 on February 23, 2012 and when is it payable ?
I haven’t been approached for this fee , mind you, I haven’t heard peep since my file was submitted by the Pardon Centre to the Parole Board of Canada in December 2011 !!
-Jim
Michael Ashby / June 12, 2013
Hi Jim,
You’re all good. If your file was submitted in 2011 you got in before the changes took effect and were grandfathered under the old rules. The $631 fee doesn’t apply to you.
Best regards,
Michael
Jim / June 13, 2013
That’s good news Michael thanks but I would gladly pay the increase 3X+ if it would expedite the process and clear my name so I don’t have to worry each year wondering what excuse I am to give to not being able to partake in the annual team-building activities which means travel to the US .. I mean there are only so many excuses a guy can come up with ! lol
Best regards,
Jim
Keri / July 24, 2013
Hi Jim,
We have had a handful of clients who have since applying for “pardon” revoked their application and resubmitted under the record suspension act. Depending on your type of conviction you could expect to see your application within anywhere from 4-12 months.
Granted you do have to take in consideration where you are in the queue at the Parole Board.
Please refer to the following link to determine where your application may stand: http://pbc-clcc.gc.ca/prdons/backlog-eng.shtml
Regards
Keri
RG / September 6, 2013
My husbands application had to be sent to Calgary first (closest location at the time) in June 2010, at the beginning of July 2010 we received an email saying the new location in Toronto would be opening in early August and his file would then be sent to the Toronto location, it was submitted for final review July 2011 and it stated “You should expect the review process to take anywhere from several weeks to several months” Well several weeks or several months have passed and we’re STILL waiting. I would have thought over the course of a year his pardon should have been granted by then.
The PBC is currently processing the following backlogged applications:
Type of offence
Applications being processed at this time
summary Accepted in August 2011
indictable Accepted in October 2010
Michael Ashby / September 9, 2013
Hi RG,
I would have thought the application would have been approved by now as well. I find it totally unacceptable that the Parole BOard is allowing this backlog to continue for so long. Sadly I think we may have to wait for a changing of the guard in Ottawa to get this problem unclogged.
I am not sure what else I can tell you. Sadly the Conservative government of Canada created this problem with its tough on crime agenda and it doesn’t seem too concerned that so many people’s lives have been put on hold.
All I can say is don’t vote Conservative in the next election.
Kind regards,
Michael