Doly Begum MPP, Scarborough Southwest

Government of Ontario

Services and Assistance

We are here to help! Contact us for assistance with any provincial matter such as education, healthcare, employment, OW/ODSP and more. Please also see the links below for more information on navigating provincial services and programs or the official website of the Ontario Government. 

Our office is happy to act as a Commissioner of Oaths on many provincial government documents (ex. Ontario name change forms).

Please note that MPP Begum and our staff are not notary publics, and therefore cannot notarize documents. For information about the difference between a notary public and a commissioner of oaths, and for information on how to find a notary public or a commissioner of oaths, please see here. Please note: our office does not commission Vaccination Exemption Forms.

Service Ontario - Driver's licences, plate stickers, health cards, birth certificates and other services provided by the Ontario. 

  • Tenant Survival Manual (Federation of Metro Tenants Association)
  • Tenant guide - Toronto Community Housing 
  • Landlord and Tenant Board 

    • Call and speak to one of a customer service officer, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Customer service officers can provide you with information about the Residential Tenancies Act and the LTB’s processes but they cannot provide legal advice.

      Before you call, get answers toFrequently Asked Questions or visit the Housing Law section of Steps to Justice.

      Contact the LTB
      Toll free: 1-888-332-3234
      Toronto area: 416-645-8080
      TTY: Call the Bell Relay Service at 1-800-855-0511

  • Housing help centres 
    • The Housing Help Centres listed are non-profit agencies that help people find and keep housing and avoid eviction. Housing help services are available in most shelters and many drop-ins as well. Use this link to find a housing help centre near you. 

Ontario Works - OW provides money for food, shelter and other costs to people in financial need who meet the eligibility criteria.

Financial Assistance may include money for food, shelter, clothing and other household costs, the cost of prescription medications, and other help with health costs.

Employment Assistance may include options to help people find jobs or become more job-ready, money for training and other employment related expenses, and employment programs that offer career exploration, skill training and more.

You can find an online application for OW here and a link to local resources here. 

Ontario Disability Support Program- ODSP 

If you have a disability and need help with your living expenses, you may be eligible for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

ODSP offers:

  • financial assistance to help you and your family with essential living expenses
  • benefits, for you and your family, including prescription drugs and vision care
  • help finding and keeping a job, and advancing your career

Legal Resources if you need to appeal a decision or have concerns: 

West Scarborough Community Legal Services (If you live east of Victoria Park Avenue and west of Midland Avenue)

Scarborough Community Legal Services (f you live east of Midland Avenue)

A resident of Ontario must have a health card to show that he or she is entitled to health care services paid for by OHIP. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care pays for a wide range of services, however, it does not pay for services that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery.

Eligibility for OHIP

Ontario residents are eligible for provincially funded health coverage (OHIP). Generally, to be eligible for Ontario health coverage you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or among one of the newcomer to Canada groups who are eligible for OHIP as set out in Ontario’s Health Insurance Act ; and
  • Physically present in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period; and
  • Physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after establishing residency in the province; and
  • Make your primary place of residence in Ontario.

OHIP coverage normally becomes effective three months after the date you establish residency in Ontario. The ministry strongly encourages new and returning residents to purchase private health insurance in case you become ill during the OHIP waiting period.

Finding a Family Doctor – Health Care Connect

Health Care Connect helps Ontarians who are without a family health care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) to find one. People without a family health care provider are referred to a family doctor or a nurse practitioner who is accepting new patients in their community. To find out more information about Health Care Connect, click here.

Finding Long-term Care

Arranging care for yourself or a family member will involve a number of steps. This section of the website describes the process for arranging care, and the role you can play in the process. See the Arranging Care page for more details.

Your local Local Health Integration Network can help. LHIN are provincially-funded agencies that provide Long-Term Care information and referral services in your area. The information is provided free of charge. To locate the LHIN nearest you, use our LHIN locator.

To find a suitable long-term care home, this search engine will help you. If you require any assistance with finding a long-term care space, please contact my office.

The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) collects, distributes and enforces child and spousal support payments.

Information for people receiving support

Information for people paying support

If you or someone you know will soon be celebrating a special birthday or anniversary, or commemorating a special event, you can request special greetings by sending an e-mail to our office.

NOTE: The recipient or requester must live in the riding, and scroll requests will only be processed if the recipient is a resident of Ontario.

Here is the criteria:

The Premier of Ontario will send a congratulatory letter on:

  • a 40th wedding anniversary and all subsequent anniversaries; or
  • an 80th birthday and all subsequent birthdays.

Requests for the Premier’s greetings must be submitted at least two (2) months in advance.  Please note that congratulatory letters will not be issued more than once every five (5) years.

Your Member of Provincial Parliament, will send a congratulatory letter on:

  • Any birthday or wedding anniversary; or
  • Any celebratory occasion.

Requests for the MPP's greetings must be submitted as early as possible.

Rent-Geared-to-Income Subsidy

Housing help centres 

  • The Housing Help Centres listed are non-profit agencies that help people find and keep housing and avoid eviction. Housing help services are available in most shelters and many drop-ins as well. Use this link to find a housing help centre near you. 

Births are recorded by the province through the Office of the Registrar General, a department of the Ministry of Government Services. For applications and further information, please click on the links below.

If you need assistance, or require expedited service, contact my community office for help.

*If the birth happened outside Ontario and within Canada, please contact the Vital Statistics Office in the province or territory where the birth took place.

How much does a birth certificate cost?

  • First birth certificate (short form —2.5″ x 3.75″) $25
  • Replacement birth certificate (short form) $35
  • First certified copy of birth (long form — 8.5″ x 14″) $35
  • Replacement certified copy of birth (long form) $45

How can I pay?

You can pay online by VISA, MasterCard,American Express or Interac® Online. If you are mailing in your application, you can pay by cheque, money order or credit card.

How long will it take?

  • Provided that the birth is registered, it should take:
  • Online service — 15 business days (including delivery)
  • Premium online service — (Online Only) 5 business days (including delivery) plus $30 surcharge
  • Fax or regular mail service — 6 to 8 weeks plus delivery
  • Expedited service — 10 days plus delivery

What if I need a birth certificate in a hurry?

As long as the birth is registered and you have proof of urgency:

2 days plus delivery and $30 surcharge

You MUST apply in person at my Community Office. Only credit card applications will be processed at the Community Office. All other applications (either cash or money order) must be made in person at the Toronto office.

What is the difference between short form and long form birth certificates?

A short form is an extract of information from the original birth registration. It is useful as basic identification.

A long form is a certified copy of the birth registration and is needed when you are:

  • Moving to another country
  • An executor for a foreign estate
  • Are adopting a child abroad
  • Filling out certain citizenship or immigration documents

Am I entitled to apply for the birth certificate?

You are entitled to apply:

  • If the birth took place in the province of Ontario.
  • If the application is for your own birth certificate and you are at least 13 years old.
  • If the application is for your child’s birth certificate and you are named as a parent on your child’s original birth registration.
  • If you are the legal guardian of a child and you can provide court documents proving that you have custody of the child.
  • If you are the next-of-kin, executor or estate administrator, and the person named on the certificate is deceased. You must provide proof of death, (e.g., a death certificate or a funeral director’s statement of death, and any other documentation requested by the Office of the Registrar General). You will only be able to obtain a long form (certified copy) of a birth certificate. Short form birth certificates will not be issued for a deceased person.

The Office of the Registrar General maintains birth registrations for 95 years. For records older than this, please contact the Archives of Ontario.

Do I have a valid guarantor?

If you are applying for a birth certificate for an individual nine years of age or older you need a guarantor.

A guarantor is a Canadian citizen and someone who has known you (the applicant) personally for at least 2 years, and is currently serving in or a practicing member in good standing of a profession from this guarantor’s list.

The role of the guarantor is to certify that information provided on a birth certificate application is as complete and accurate as possible. If required, a qualified guarantor must also be available to verify the information with the Office of the Registrar General.

Once a death occurs the physician or coroner attending the death completes the Medical Certificate of Death and gives it to the Funeral Director to go with the body.

To register a death, a family member and the funeral director complete the Statement of Death with information about the deceased.

Once completed, the Medical Certificate of Death and the Statement of Death are submitted to the local municipal clerk’s office by the Funeral Director.

The funeral director will issue copies of a proof of death that you can use in certain situations. There are some organizations, however, that may require an official death certificate from the Province of Ontario, Office of the Registrar General.

You may need an official death certificate or certified copy for:

  • Settling an estate
  • Insurance purposes
  • Access to/termination of government services, e.g., health card, pension, voters’ list
  • Genealogy searches

Once the death is registered, the next of kin, executor or estate administrator may apply for a death certificate. Death certificate applications can be made online, by mail, fax, or in person. The different methods of application have different service delivery times and sometimes different fees.

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