96-year-old in Ontario health card hassle to get replacement

A 96-year-old Ottawa woman will pick up her new Ontario health card today after she was originally denied a new card due to a lack of proper identification.

Elizabeth Stead's son, Richard Stead, said the family received a letter from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on Tuesday authorizing ServiceOntario to issue a new photo health card to the woman.

Richard Stead said they would go to a ServiceOntario centre Tuesday afternoon to get the card.

The controversy over Elizabeth Stead's inability to get a replacement card started after her old red and white onewent missing when she went for medical tests two weeks ago.

She was issued a 90-day temporary card but replacing her original one was difficult because she does not have a driver's licence or other required identification, according to her son.

MPP promised to help widow

Elizabeth Stead saidshe was in a "jam"and caught up in red tape because she did not have any photo identification or proof of residency. She only had a marriage licence, citizenship papers and expired passport, but they are not acceptable identification to help her replace her lost health card.

Her only photo identification is her passport, which expired in 1992. Stead stopped driving in the 1950s, so she has no driver's licence.

David Salter, a spokesman for Steads area MPP, Bob Chiarelli, had said after Stead's story came to light that Chiarelli would help her obtain a new health card.

It wasunclear Tuesday afternoon if Chiarelli helped the widow, or if Monday's CBC News story led to the ministry's letter.