Rollout of new licence, ID requirements a headache for some senior Albertans

Albertans looking to renew their drivers' licence will need additional documents to do so, which is causing issues for some. Jeremy Thompson reports.

The rollout of Alberta’s new three-in-one driver’s licences comes with additional documentation requirements some seniors in the province may need to spend some time digging up.

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Teta Engram, for example, says her 84-year-old mother was told she’d need to present a birth certificate or passport in order to fully renew her licence, which expired while she was recovering from a stroke. She did not have a passport.

“She basically tore her house apart looking for these documents,” Engram told CTV News Edmonton.

When she did produce her birth certificate, she realized it only had her maiden name — so she also had to dig up her marriage certificate from 1961.

“I think it’s rather discriminatory in that context. It was very common for women to change their names when she got married in the 1960s, and there will be a lot of women her age going to do this who don’t have a passport,” she said.

At the end of June, Ralf Luthe drove from Kamloops, B.C., to help his 96-year-old mother Helga, an immigrant who moved from Germany in the 1960s, renew her Alberta ID card. Without it, she’s not eligible for her German pension.

Helga had her original citizenship documents from 1964 and managed to travel from her care facility in Edmonton to a registry. There, she was able to skip the line due to her health and mobility issues, but was told her documents may not be approved.

Luthe says she also required a note from her doctor and care facility to prove her residency and mobility issues, but the care facility wasn’t aware of what type of documentation she needed.

“It’s fortunate for Helga that she’s got a family that is willing to make this work for her, even though we haven’t yet been successful,” Luthe said. “But if you’re a senior and you need this and you don’t have anybody who can help, you’re hooped.”

Luthe will have to bring his mother back to the registry to have a new photo taken for her ID. Frustrated, he reached out to her MLA, Alberta NDP’s David Shepherd.

Shepherd told CTV News Edmonton he’s hearing stories from his constituents about what he thinks is “an extremely problematic policy.”

“It’s a solution in search of a problem. We don’t know what problem the government is trying to solve here.”

Shepherd said Luthe, who has power of attorney, did everything right in calling ahead to Service Alberta to check documentation requirements. The family is still waiting to hear back about Helga’s ID card.

“This is not something that should be rolled out on a whim. This is not something that should just be tossed off and then left on the backs of Albertans to have to sort out,” Shepherd added.

After hearing from CTV News Edmonton, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction and Service Alberta said they would be in touch with the family to support Helga’s ID renewal. The process of acquiring ID renewals for a senior family member is available on the Alberta government website.

New ID requirements

A new Alberta driver’s licence, which displays both a citizenship marker and health number, requires documentation of your legal Alberta residency or proof of Canadian citizenship. It also requires an official version of your health card.

Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally told CTV News Edmonton in a statement that the province would grant a one-time, 60-day grace period for an undisclosed fee to people needing time to get their documents in order.

“Ahead of the rollout, we communicated directly with Albertans whose driver’s licences or ID cards were approaching expiry to ensure they knew what documentation to bring to the registry,” Nally said.

He also said extensive training and support was provided to registry agents across Alberta as the new cards roll out.

As much as Engram and Luthe are frustrated by their experiences, both echoed they felt sorry for registry agents as new requirements confuse some.

“They’re just the messenger ... People were angry when they got to the counter and were told they had to produce this information, and they didn’t know,” Engram said.

Luthe said everyone he’s called, from Service Alberta to local registries, has been helpful — he just wishes there was a smoother way to get all his mother’s ducks in a row.

“To me, some of this is just unnecessary.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson