Hello everyone!
I just sent an email to the admin concerning issues logging into your Forum, but had NO problems doing so on my husband's computer, so whomever gets that email can disregard that. As long as I can log in SOMEHOW, I'm happy... thoroughly frustrated at the moment, but happy.
So this is the issue - and how I came to end up joining your Forum was due to an old thread from 2005, which was the ONLY thing I could find pertaining to this. The thread is here:
https://army.ca/forums/threads/26123/post-155000.html#msg155000. Ok, so the issue is this: a friend of mine [and neighbour] is trying to get a copy of his birth certificate. Has been getting the run around from various government agencies. Why? Well, this is where it gets interesting and he's NOT the only one. His parents are Canadian, his military father was stationed in Iserlohn, Germany in 1967, his mother gave birth to my friend in a British Military hospital where he was delivered by a Swedish nurse. The thread that I referenced earlier is about a Krista Anderson who was a Canadian citizen, but after 9/11, and is not a Canadian citizen - ironically, Anderson is also my friend name, lol. Anyway, I've been trying to help him and his wife figure out how the heck to get his birth certificate. He desperately needs one in order to renew his Health Card, which he desperately needs to do in order to get a new hearing aid. He has only one ear and 90% hearing loss in his "good" ear. His other ear did not form properly in the womb and the canal is completely blocked.
Now, he's tried calling various agencies and has been getting the run around for decades. "I'm sorry, we can't help you, you need to contact Agency B". "Oh, I don't know why agency A referred you to us, we can't help you, you need to contact agency C", and etc, etc. He gave up trying. Now that his health card is in jeopardy - he still has his Red and White card, this whole run around is starting all over again. Over the passed few days, the following agencies have been contacted:
1. Service Ontario
2. Service Canada
3. the German Embassy in Toronto [my husband's idea]
4. the British Military hospital [since he was born in one]
5. the birth certificate place in Toronto [sorry, the name escapes me right now]
6. our local community centre - they deal with immigration issues, long shot, but worth a try
Agencies 1 - 5 gave the same spiel - "I don't know why you called us, we can't help you. Not our department. Call this other place." Our community centre admitted that his issue was way over their heads and didn't know HOW to help. At least they had the balls to admit it.
So, the multi-million dollar question is: who the heck DOES he call???? Is there any sort of Section 4, paragraph 7.3 in some government handbook that he can quote to say that, yes, it IS YOUR AGENCY that can help and this Section tells me so!!??
In reading that thread that I linked to earlier, the reporter not only does not exist on that site anymore, but the story is GONE. Total 404 error. I was going to try to contact him for advice. I read almost every comment in that thread, so my friend is NOT the only one out there, but what did all those other people DO?!?! I had to laugh out loud at one comment by 2 Cdo, I do believe, who'd suggested stop paying taxes... which my friend said he thought of trying that and made the CRS sort out the BS of proving he exists, lol. He believes they'll get through all the BS red tape, but I told him I didn't think he'd really want to wait in jail for 10 years while they decide to get around to it and sort it all out.
So this is the jist of what's going on with my friend. I've read the forum's TOS's and I'm pretty darn sure I've followed all the rules. To the best of my knowledge, everything I've stated is true and I don't think I messed up any information. I can probably answer most questions I'm asked, and if not, I can run next door and find out. This whole issue has been p***ing ME off and it's not even my fight, but this guy is good people and I've made this my "quest" to try to help him. I even also joined an Iserlohn page in Facebook, lmao. I don't know what's going on half the time - it's in German - but apparently I picked REAL good because after I sent them a message explaining the situation, I found out the page is actually for their City Hall! lmao They were the ones who said to contact the British Military... I DID get something wrong... it was the British Military, NOT the hospital that was contacted as that closed down and is now a women's shelter. There's a website dedicated to it. Pretty cool.
Thanks for those who made it all the way to the end of this post, Kudo's to you!!
StraitJacketMom
. Has anything come about to resolve this? My kids were born in Lahr, '88 and '92. They only got a birth certificate issued by the Ratthaus in Lahr, there was no other documentation forthcoming, and when I enquired on rotation back to Canada, was told none was necessary. I have 2 ancient passports that they were issued, says Canadian Citizen right inside... good enough if accompanied with a birth cert? They are both coming of an age where they want jobs, but can't get a SIN until this crap is resolved. My boy is also special needs, and therefore needs proof of citizenship for any disability benefits once he reaches age of majority. This is just one of a long list of things that keep me up at night. Rant ends... :warstory:
