What’s in a name?

A woman who immigrated to Canada as a child sought our help in changing her name on official documents. The Office of the Registrar General had raised questions because the name on her birth certificate and certificate of landing in Canada differed from that on later documents, when her mother changed it to an anglicized version. She had obtained a legal name change in 2022, but still could not get a driver’s licence or health card in her new name. After we made inquiries with ServiceOntario, and the ministries of Transportation and Health, the woman was able to update her identification. We also worked with a ServiceOntario manager, who provided her with a letter so she could make corresponding changes to her Canadian passport and other federal documents.