O Canada! > Canadian > Canadian Chat > [Rant] Ontario Photo ID card now available at more locations

It's been almost a year and half since the Ontario government has become a "latecomer" on offering a non-drivers photo ID card after it joined the many other provinces that offer such a service.

Quebec is now the only province that does not offer a non-drivers photo ID card and the Government of Canada has stopped issuing the the so-called Certificates of Canadian Citizenship - in the form of photo ID cards. Instead, they are now issued in a letter-sized document, which is NOT considered a valid travel document.

I have no idea why, but the government is relentless on upgrading the certificate of Canadian citizenship photo ID cards - to modern security standards.

Anyways, back to my topic now and while the Ontario Photo ID card service initially offered at a handful of participating ServiceOntario centres, it has recently been expanded to many other ServiceOntario locations - the bulk of that in the Toronto area. You can review the information (dated May 2012) at these links:
»news.ontario.ca/mgs/en/2012/05/o···res.html
»news.ontario.ca/mgs/en/2012/05/o···res.html

This prompted me on writing a letter to the editor of my local community newspaper. This letter can be founded here: »www.durhamregion.com/opinion/let···resolved

What really bothers me is that not many people aren't getting the message on what the Ontario Photo Card (for non-drivers) is all about. They believe it's just a cookie-cutter version of a drivers licence (but the fact is that it's a government-issued photo ID card for Ontario residents aged 16 who do not have an Ontario Driver's license - in fact the words "NOT A DRIVERS LICENCE" is explicitly printed at the back).

They would consider this non-drivers photo ID card a fake, even though it's government-issued. I find that unacceptable. If you ever been to a club or bar and there is someone with a handheld card scanner verifying to sure if your card is genuine, rather than a fake. I would wish if the manufacturers who build these devices provide a "software/firmware" update to support the Ontario Photo Card for non-drivers.

Then again, it'll be a matter of time until everyone know what the Ontario Photo Card is. It's just like trying to learn a new language. In addition, you cannot (under any circumstances) have a drivers licence and an Ontario Photo Card at the same time. This is due to fraud prevention reasons. If you decide to drive later in life, you have to surrender your Ontario Photo Card when applying a drivers licence (G1/M1, etc.). If you want to stop driving - whether temporarily or for good - then you must surrender your drivers licence.

I really wish there was a system in place telling the customer if they hold a driver's licence when applying for the Ontario Photo Card. The same is true at DriveTest. When you apply for the G1 or M1, then there should be a way on notifying the applicant that they must surrender the Ontario Photo Card when applying for your G1 or M1.

I've been bashed, criticized and in some words - name called because I was lobbying for the Ontario Photo Card. I was not the only person who lobbied for it. Many people with disabilities and in fact - seniors lobbied for it too.

So my question is, what do you have to say about the Ontario Photo Card service being expanded to many locations and how would one person know on what the Ontario Photo Card is all about? I tend to explain on what the Ontario Photo Card is whenever I claim a parcel at the post office, buying booze at the LCBO/Beer Store and so forth. What's more, this particuilar photo card cannot be used to cross the United States border by land or water - a passport must be used. I'm wishing that an enhanced version of the card should be offered - although it won't be in the horizon.