Pardon Canada Interest Story
Michelle Gagnon finally has her clearance from a criminal background check after being tangled up in red tape.
The 45-year-old St. Catharines teacher was stymied last month after changes by the RCMP designed to make Canadians safer made the background check process more complicated for some people.
That's because anyone who shares a common birthdate or name with a pardoned sex offender is flagged and has to go through an extra step of fingerprinting.
"I'm happy that it's done, but it was a problem that it took so long," said Gagnon, who picked up her clearance Tuesday, which she needed for work as a supply teacher.
She was told by Niagara Regional Police during the first week of August her clearance couldn't be provided, and went in to be fingerprinted Aug. 19.
Fingerprints were then sent to the RCMP, which has access to information about pardons not available to municipal police officers.
Previously, municipal services could look at a person's height or eye colour to determine their identity. Fingerprinting was only used if there was still a conflict.
That middle step was cut out when the RCMP discovered a pardoned sex offender could slip through the system if they obtained a legal name change in Canada.
The charges were made for background checks in the vulnerable sectors -- those with positions of trust over children, the elderly, or disabled.
About 1,000 people each month in Niagara request criminal background checks from the NRP for employment or volunteer positions.
The NRP said Tuesday that approximately 170 Niagara residents have been flagged since the RCMP changes were brought in this summer, with an average of 85 people a month.
That compares to four per year before the changes.
Const. Nilan Dave said the service anticipates October will have similar numbers. He said people flagged have been contacted for fingerprinting.
For more information contact www.pardonservicescanada.com
