Photo ID cards available

Photo identification cards are now available to Nunavut residents who have no other photo identification and who are travelling outside the territory.

Tom Bragard, manager of services and inspections with the Government of Nunavut, says people flying into international airports such as Ottawa and Montreal who have no other photo ID can visit the motor vehicle office in Iqaluit, or the office of the municipal liaison officer in communities to obtain photo ID at no cost.

Since the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, airports in the South have required photo identification from all travellers.

People leaving Nunavut don’t need photo ID, but some residents have faced problems returning to the territory.

At the moment, only people travelling South for medical reasons or those with a plane ticket or itinerary can get a card. The person has to be 12 years old and must bring two pieces of ID. The motor vehicle office or municipal liaison officer will issue a temporary card immediately. The application will then be sent to the office in Iqaluit and a permanent card will be issued within a couple of weeks.

Bragard says in the case of someone flying South for medical reasons, the municipal liaison officer or motor vehicle branch will issue a card and make sure the person receives it for their return trip.

The card looks like a Nunavut driver’s license, but has a red border and a yellow background behind the photo. It has a hologram on the front and includes the holder’s date of birth, sex and weight. The ID will be good for five years, like a driver’s license, and is free for the first issue.

A second phase of the ID card issuing will happen eventually, but Bragard says no timeline has been set. People will be issued ID cards based on their last names and a call will go out for people to go in alphabetical order to have their photos taken.