The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) has announced the gradual reopening of its service centers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, following a significant IT failure that paralyzed its operations for more than a day. The outage, which began on Tuesday afternoon, May 6, was attributed to a bug affecting Microsoft servers that support essential services for the SAAQ.
In a statement released early Thursday, the SAAQ confirmed that the technical issues had been resolved and that all appointments scheduled for the day would proceed as planned. Online services through the SAAQclic platform have also resumed, allowing users to access services that had been temporarily disrupted.
During the outage, approximately 40,000 appointments were canceled, leading to considerable frustration among the public. The SAAQ has pledged to contact those affected to reschedule their appointments. Additionally, some service outlets will extend their hours on Thursday to accommodate the backlog of appointments.
The SAAQ's troubles are not new; the organization has faced criticism over its digital transition, particularly following the rollout of the SAAQclic platform in 2023, which resulted in long wait times and a staggering $500 million cost overrun. This latest incident has sparked renewed scrutiny, with calls for a public inquiry into the SAAQ's management and its reliance on external technology providers.
On the day of the outage, only individuals with practical driving exams were permitted to visit the SAAQ, as all other services were suspended. The situation was described as "totally unacceptable" by Gilles Bélanger, the Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Technology, who emphasized that the problems were not caused by the SAAQclic platform but were due to issues with Microsoft. Bélanger reiterated that no personal data of clients had been compromised during the outage.
As the SAAQ works to restore normalcy, the government is also developing a recovery plan to address the anticipated waiting times resulting from the disruption. The SAAQ has expressed its sincere apologies to all those affected, acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the outage.
Despite the resolution of the immediate technical issues, concerns remain about the SAAQ's dependency on external suppliers, particularly American tech giants like Microsoft. Experts in cybersecurity have pointed out that this incident highlights the need for Quebec to pursue a strategy of digital sovereignty, reducing reliance on foreign companies for critical services.
Steve Waterhouse, a cybersecurity specialist, noted that the outage demonstrates a significant vulnerability in Quebec's digital infrastructure. He advocates for a comprehensive plan to evaluate the storage of data, potentially shifting towards local hosting solutions to enhance security and reliability.
In the political arena, opposition leaders have criticized the government's handling of the crisis. Marc Tanguay, the interim leader of the Liberal opposition, labeled the management of the SAAQclic failure a "fiasco," questioning when accountability would be established. Similarly, Québec solidaire MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard expressed concern over the financial implications of the project, claiming that Quebecers have overpaid for a system that is evidently malfunctioning.
As the SAAQ aims to rebuild trust and restore its services, the focus will likely shift to ensuring that such disruptions do not occur in the future. The government’s commitment to exploring digital sovereignty may be a step toward addressing these systemic issues, but it will require careful planning and execution to realize a more resilient digital infrastructure for Quebec.
In summary, while the SAAQ has successfully resolved the recent IT failure and reopened its service centers, the incident has raised critical questions about the organization’s operational management and its reliance on external technology providers. As it navigates the aftermath, both the SAAQ and the Quebec government will need to take proactive measures to prevent similar issues in the future and to reassure the public of their commitment to providing reliable services.
