PCs push to end delays for birth, death and marriage certificates

TORONTO — The Ontario government says high demand and issues with online applications are causing delays of up to three and a half months in issuing birth, death and marriage certificates — a situation it is apologizing for.

Consumer Services Minister Bill Walker said Wednesday he has ordered a review of the problem at Service Ontario, the government arm that handles applications for the documents.

“I apologize profusely,” Walker said. “I want people to be assured that I am taking this seriously. I have asked for a briefing and we will put corrective action in place to prevent this going forward.”

Some people posting on the government’s social media pages have complained of delays of up to six months for the documents.

Walker said he has authorized additional overtime for workers to help clear the backlog, which the government said varies from 11 to 14 weeks.

The minister said the delay is being caused by a variety of factors, including an increased number of requests for the documents and problems with online forms that require special attention from staff.

When an error is made in the online system used to request the documents, changes cannot then be made online, Walker said. Service Ontario must contact the individual directly and that can delay the process significantly, he said.

The government is also investigating whether the online form is generating errors automatically that are contributing to the problem.

Walker could not say how long a fix will take but said the government is determined to address the delays and correct the source of the problem. “I like to think of how we can solve the problem as opposed to (applying) a Band-Aid,” he said.