Young man with no birth certificate doesn't officially exist

A 20-year-old man from a rural town in eastern Ontario doesn't officially exist on paper because hehas no birth certificate, no social insurance number and no driver's licence.

To the Government of Ontario, Lucas James Veley from Sydenham, about 30 kilometres north of Kingston, was never born.

"It's a huge pain, not being able to do anything," Veley said in an interview by phone Tuesday. "I can't get a job, I can't get a licence, I can't really do anything, to be honest. You can't really live a life."

If he could, he said he'd be working at a local hardware store, saving up money in case he wants post-secondary education one day.

"It's been terrible for him," said Barb Neilson, Veley's mother. "He can't work, he can't drive ... he can't have a bank account, he can't do anything.He has to sit at home and do nothing."

Birth certificate never arrived

Veley was bornin 1998 at his then home inBellrock, another small townnot far from Sydenham.His mother applied for his birth certificate and health card at the time, but said thatafter waiting a few weeks, the only thing she got in the mail was a health card.

He was never registered as being born, so the Ontario government has no record of him.- BarbNeilson,Lucas JamesVeley's mother

The lack of a birth certificate didn't become aproblem for themuntil yearslater.

"Before he was 16, it was never an issue. We had a health card [and]that is what we used to get him into school, he got all his immunization, he went to the doctor ... so it was never an issue," Neilson told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning.

But when Neilson tried to renew her son's health card when he was 16, the staff at the counter told her it wasn't possible without a birth certificate.

She soon learnedher son's very existence wasn't properly recorded.

"He was never registered as being born, so the Ontario government has no record of him," she said.

'He's not the only one'

The familyapplied to the provincial governmentfora delayed statement of birth and identification four times butreceived no response,Neilsonsaid.

Along with the necessary forms, Veley sent in hishealth card, thebirth certificates of his parents, his report card and his immunization records.

The family recently connected with newly re-elected LanarkFrontenacKingston MPP Randy Hillier, whose office has stepped in tohelp the man get recognized by the Ontario government.

"Something has to change because he's not the only one,"Neilsonsaid."They say this is common, [that] it happens quite often."

Veleysaid that after Hillier stepped in, he's hopingto receive his identification in a few weeks.

"I think it's going to feel great, being alive and actually existing," he said.