Passport Officer at the Jamaican Consulate General in Toronto, Carol Phillips (left), assists Jasmine Snowden and her son, 12 year-old Shaheed Green with an application for Shaheed's passport. The Consulate was on a Community Outreach to the city of Hamilton, about 60 kilometres from Toronto, recently.

The residents were able to submit passport applications and get all their questions answered on a wide variety of topics, including Tax Registration Number, birth and death certificates, doing business in Jamaica, customs duties and dual citizenship.

Jasmine Snowden, who submitted a passport application for her 12 year-old son, said she was delighted that the Consulate was assisting. "It's awesome, because it saved me the trip of going to Toronto," she said.

Jamaica's Consul-General to Toronto, Canada, Anne-Marie Bonner (left), answers questions from Jamaicans living in the city of Hamilton, Canada, about 60 kilometres west of Toronto. The Consulate organised a community outreach to service Jamaicans in that city, recently.

"We find that people do not know about the services of the Consulate and so these outreaches are to bring the services to them. It's really a way for us to get close to the people," she said.

Representatives on hand included those from the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA); from the Consular section of the Consulate, and from the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

The next Community Outreach is slated for Saturday, August 15, in the Brampton/Mississauga area.