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Birth
An Ontario birth certificate is an important legal document for children born in Ontario because it establishes identity and it can be used as a piece of identification when registering for health services, a passport and other services.
Before applying for an Ontario birth certificate, the birth of a child must be registered. Here are the steps to register a child’s birth:
- Complete the Statement of Live Birth form, which is received from the hospital or midwife.
- Send the completed form to the Division Registrar’s Office in the local city or municipality. The address will be on the form.
- It may take up to four months to process the form. You will receive a Notice of Birth Registration in the mail.
Once you have received the Notice of Birth Registration, you can apply for a birth certificate by completing the Request for Birth Certificate form and mailing it to the Office of the Registrar General.
- Visit In Settlement.org to learn more about getting a birth certificate for a child born in Canada.
- Government of Ontario: Birth certificates
- Office of the Registrar General: Online Certificate Application
- Government of Ontario: online Request for Birth Certificate
marriage
Marriage is an important event in a person’s life. It is also a legal contract between two people.
To be married in Ontario, you must meet certain conditions:
- Meeting the age requirements
- Both people must agree to the marriage
- Both people must be present for the marriage ceremony
- If either person is divorced, proof of the divorce must be given
- You may marry someone of the same or opposite sex (Same sex marriages are legal in Ontario)
To get married, you either need a marriage licence from the local city hall or municipality, or a banns form from a church when you publically announce your commitment during a divine service. The marriage or banns are signed by you and your spouse, witnesses and the person who performed the marriage immediately after the ceremony. The person performing the marriage ceremony will forward your marriage licence to the Office of the Registrar General to be registered, a process that will take about 10 weeks.
Once the marriage licence has been registered, you apply for a marriage certificate from Service Ontario. You can visit a local location, as well as the Service Ontario website or phone Service Ontario’s General Inquiry Line: 1-800-267-8097. Please see the list of Service Ontario locations in Simcoe County below.
Retirement
Financial Assistance for Seniors
When a person reaches a certain age, they may choose to retire from the workforce. When a person retires, they may be eligible for some financial assistance programs from the government, often called government pension benefits. Each government pension benefits program has different eligibility requirements. Here is a brief explanation of each; please visit the website for each program to learn additional details:
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Retirement Pension: a monthly benefit for people aged 60 and over who have made contributions to the CPP while in the workforce.
- Old Age Security (OAS) Pension: A monthly benefit for people aged 65 and older who meet Canadian residency and status requirements.
- Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): a benefit for low-income Canadians aged 65 and over who receive the OAS pension.
- Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor: A benefit for individuals aged 60 to 64 low-income. You must be the spouse of a person who is or was eligible for the GIS. You can still qualify even if your spouse has died.
- International Benefits: If you have lived or worked in another country, or you are the survivor of someone who has lived or worked in another country, you may be eligible for benefits from Canada or abroad.
Seniors’ Care
There are many steps involved in arranging care for yourself of a family member. In Ontario, the Home and Community Care Support Services is the primary contact for information on Seniors’ Care. You can learn more about the process by visiting the Home, Community and Residential Care Services for Seniors section of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s website.
The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care website identifies 4 categories of Home and Community Support Services for seniors to manage their care within their own home.
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Retirement Pension: a monthly benefit for people aged 60 and over who have made contributions to the CPP while in the workforce.
- Old Age Security (OAS) Pension: A monthly benefit for people aged 65 and older who meet Canadian residency and status requirements.
- Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): a benefit for low-income Canadians aged 65 and over who receive the OAS pension.
- Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor: A benefit for individuals aged 60 to 64 low-income. You must be the spouse of a person who is or was eligible for the GIS. You can still qualify even if your spouse has died.
- International Benefits: If you have lived or worked in another country, or you are the survivor of someone who has lived or worked in another country, you may be eligible for benefits from Canada or abroad.
For seniors requiring residential care, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care identifies 3 types of care:
- Supportive Housing is for seniors who need minimal to moderate levels of personal care and support to live independently. Many locations have rent-geared-to-income subsidies available.
- Retirement Homes are privately owned, and provide accommodations for seniors who need minimal to moderate levels of personal care and support to live independently. Retirement Homes are funded entirely by resident fees.
- Long-Term Care Homes are designed for people who need access to 24-hour nursing care, supervision or higher levels of personal care. These homes are also known as nursing homes, municipal homes for the aged, or charitable homes. Residents pay for accommodation charges and the care is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Some communities have subsidized housing programs that focus on seniors. You may be able to get a subsidy for rent-geared-to-income housing. For more information, visit the Social Housing section.
For more information on Senior’s Care Services and Programs, contact a local Service Ontario location. You can also visit the Service Ontario website or phone Service Ontario’s General Inquiry Line: 1-800-267-8097
The information listed below was provided by 211 Community Connection.
| Service Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Alliston | 180 Parsons Rd, Unit 1 Alliston, ON L9R 1E8 Phone: 705-435-7661 |
| Barrie | 274 Burton Ave, Unit 21 Barrie, ON L4N 5W4 Phone: 705-728-3861 _________________ 34 Simcoe St, Unit 102 Barrie, ON L4N 6T4 Phone: 1-800-267-8097 _________________ Bayfield Mall 320 Bayfield St, Unit 104 Barrie, ON L4M 3C1 Phone: 705-722-5210 |
| Bradford | 100 Dissette St, Unit 9 Bradford, ON L3Z 3G8 Phone: 1-800-267-8097 |
| Collingwood | 191 Hurontario St, Unit 6 Collingwood, ON L9Y 2M1 Phone: 705-445-3530 |
| Elmvale* | 40 Yonge St S, Unit A Elmvale, ON L0L 1P0 Phone: 705-322-4181 *Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing and Health Card Renewal Office |
| Midland* | Huronia Mall 9225 Hwy 93, Unit 20 Midland, ON L4R 4K4 Phone: 705-526-1590 *Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing and Health Card Renewal Office |
| Orillia | 150 Front St S Orillia, ON L3V 4S7 Phone: 705-326-4424 |
| Stayner | 7314 Hwy 26 Stayner, ON L0M 1S0 Phone: 705-428-2821 |
Seniors Health
Visit the Seniors’ Health section to learn more about health services for seniors.