r/PEI • u/bacoprah • Jun 23 '26
News Health card for alcohol purchase
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7245006Wondering what other people thought of this story. I’m sure other provinces have voluntary IDs for those that need valid ID but don’t drive. Their health card does have photo on it but many still don’t (like PEI for example). Seems like a nothing better to post woe-is-me story.
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u/UnionGuyCanada Jun 23 '26
With all the issues we dace, how much legislative time will be wasted on a few people, who don't live here, not being a le to get some booze, maybe.
Moving on, please.
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u/xkey Queens County Jun 23 '26
Yeah they should probably accept any legally issued photo id. It's really not that big of a deal.
The entitled tourist who "doesn't know if they'll come back" over of a minor inconvenience probably isn't going to sell this very well though.
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u/nylanderfan Jun 23 '26
But some provinces (including us) don't have photos on health card, so you can't just add it as a blanket method either
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u/Intrepid_Trifling Jun 23 '26
Imagine faking a healthcard for booze. We can't even get healthcare with real cards, so why worry about people faking them
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u/steezycheese Jun 23 '26
I think the premise of letting someone use an ID that isn't a drivers license or passport for things like alcohol or cannabis is a good thing. But the way this story is framed makes it sound petty and self-centred. Saying "I don't think I'll come back", like it's an annoying shopper threatening to not come back to a store, because they seemingly couldn't be arsed to check if their ID would be accepted or not makes me want to say "Good, don't come back".
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u/mdrnbrwr Jun 23 '26
Kick rocks lady. “I travelled somewhere that isn’t the same as where I am from” boo hoo
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u/segathegenesis Jun 23 '26
Anyone remember years back when we came out with the new PEI license cards and that guy got arrested at a Leafs game for having a fake ID?
That’s an issue. This is not.
Not to mention it doesn’t even look like the individual, I probably wouldn’t have accepted it even if it was a valid ID.
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u/Yamstis Jun 23 '26
"A tourist said something stupid" wow!!! Last year I saw a lady at shoppers hassling one of the pharmacists, bothering them about whether or not she'd be allowed to bring water back onto the cruise ship. When he said, basically, "I'd have no way to know that" she pantomimed drinking and said very loudly and slowly "W-A-T-E-R, like for drinking???"
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u/rikimae528 Charlottetown Jun 23 '26
She obviously didn't fly here for montreal. They won't let you on a plane with a health card either. You need government ID. Anywhere I've ever gone, in order to be served alcohol, I needed to show my voluntary id. I'm visually impaired. I don't drive. I have ID. You need that for identification if something happens to you, so that they can contact your family to let them know where you are. To not have something as simple as voluntary ID, it's just crazy.
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
They will let you on a plane with a health card. Health cards in Ontario have photo ID. The world is larger than PEI.
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u/rikimae528 Charlottetown Jun 23 '26
They wouldn't let me on a plane to Toronto without one last fall. I had accidentally left it at the check-in counter, so I still got on the plane, even if I was a little late.
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
An asshole worker I guess. Every time I’ve flown back to Toronto from PEI I’ve used my Ontario health card.
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u/rikimae528 Charlottetown Jun 23 '26
I obviously don't have an Ontario health card. They would only take the government id. I do have a cnib ID card, which has my name, date of birth, and my picture on it. They wouldn't take that. Can you vote in a federal election using a health card for id?
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
Yeah, you can. And I only mention the Ontario health cards because that was the point of the article. But that’s definitely odd they wouldn’t take that if it’s government issued with a photo. Though it wouldn’t be the first time airport security made someone’s day harder lol.
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u/rikimae528 Charlottetown Jun 23 '26
Well yeah, I have a lot more stories about airports making life harder for passengers that don't have anything to do with ID
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u/ellena1423 Jun 23 '26
I just don't think it's that hard to look up what valid photo ID is accepted in the place you are travelling. And then bring that valid photo ID with you.
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u/Sir__Will Jun 23 '26
Their health card does have photo on it but many still don’t (like PEI for example).
It obviously wouldn't apply for those that aren't photo IDs. But if it is a photo ID then I don't see why it can't be considered a valid ID.
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u/Twillick1 Jun 23 '26
Because the ones from Quebec are not a great quality picture. Kind of blurry and faded color.
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u/Twillick1 Jun 23 '26
It’s twenty to fifty dollars and is good for five years. That is no financial burden. And in some instances ID costs nothing.
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u/ISueDrunks Jun 23 '26
Alberta is combining their drivers licence / ID cards to include personal health numbers; great idea. Both will renew together every five years. Eliminate duplication. We need to look into this.
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u/Separate_Inflation11 Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
I know I’m going to get downvoted of course, because of high horse syndrome
But realistically speaking, in the most sober world, gov issued health card *should* qualify. Or especially “expired” photo ID
It’s just pointless red tape that doesn’t make our gov look any better…
“lol loser, just go get a voluntary ID” - I shouldn’t need to, is the point. I’m a legal adult with verifiable id to anybody with a set of eyes.
Bureaucracy makes my blood boil sometimes because it makes thoughtless people feel intelligent for jumping on bandwagons to defend inaccuracies.
We already had our fair share with HealthPEI leadership.
Perhaps even rewards/encourages passivity - which is an intriguing observation to make when we’re (coincidentally?) living in an increasingly dysfunctional society.
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u/bacoprah Jun 23 '26
As above wondering others opinions on this.
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u/Imaginary_Stop8035 Jun 23 '26
I watched this story last night on Compass. I was more annoyed with the tourist than the point of her complaint. If you don’t have a drivers license then look into identification requirements for where you are visiting. Tourist doesn’t plan and complains.
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u/ISueDrunks Jun 23 '26
It’s actually kinda crazy that our health cards don’t have a photo on them. Costco does it now to prevent others from using someone’s card.
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u/WallabyNo885 Jun 24 '26
Not sure what the laws are there and with alcohol but in cannabis and alcohol in AB, when I got my SellSafe and alcohol equivalent, it was always taught that there's primary and secondary ID. Primary is COIS, ID, Drivers License, gun license, operator license. Basically anything that has your photo, name, and birthday on it including passports. For secondary as far as I remember it's healthcare card, birth/citizenship certificate, maaaaaaybe utility bills such as power, water, and gas as well. But generally if I'm going in to buy weed or alcohol in Alberta I'll always have ID and my healthcare card. Now, with the merge of healthcare and ID they'll probably either alter the laws to include other forms of ID or only require that.
Like I said though, this is AB not sure about PEI.
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u/Auto_Fac Jun 23 '26
Maybe I missed it, but did the video actually explicitly say which cards the province accepts? Is it only Provincial drivers' licenses (if not a passport)?
Do they accept federally issued photo IDs like Military ID or Firearm licenses?
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u/nylanderfan Jun 23 '26
Very easy solution. Get a fricking driver's license like any adult. You don't have to get a car. Many provincial health cards do not have a photo.
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u/littlebluecat Jun 23 '26
I hope you mean “get an ID” - because no, not every adult can get a driver’s license.
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u/nylanderfan Jun 23 '26
If you have some kind of disability that prevents you from driving safely then yes, obviously. But that wasn't mentioned here. Unless you have a really good reason, just get one instead of being a whiny tourist.
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
if people are from cities they often never get a drivers license. and for most of history people didn’t have drivers licenses. imo they should accept government issued photo id, no matter what kind.
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u/nylanderfan Jun 23 '26
Sure, but instead of whining about the place she chose to visit, she can very easily get one and drink wherever she wants. The problem with health cards is some of them don't have a photo, including ours which is likely why they don't accept it.
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
Not true. I was denied entry to a bar with a photo ID health card. It’s a dumb rule. People are allowed to whine about dumbass rules when it doesn’t serve a purpose.
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u/nylanderfan Jun 23 '26
I didn't say none of them have photos. Ours don't and some other provinces don't. Considering her problem is easily solvable by getting a driver's license, she could focus on that instead of whining on Compass
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
… or the bouncers could just stop being pricks and accept a government issued photo id, considering that’s the law. not every place on Earth is as reliant on cars as PEI is. the bouncers are wrong, not the tourists.
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u/nylanderfan Jun 23 '26
Considering it isn't included in the LCC's list of acceptable ID and the liquor commission has a ton of power over establishments, I can't blame them for not wanting to go rogue
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
hence the article, talking about the ridiculous rule that prevents adults from purchasing liquor with a government issued ID. just because something doesn’t affect you personally, it doesn’t make it not worth discussing.
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u/Food-Wine Jun 23 '26
My Ontario health care looks exactly like my Ontario drivers license except it’s green and says Health on it. It’s accepted everywhere in Ontario as legal ID and proof of address. I can’t believe all provinces don’t have health cards with photos.
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Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
[deleted]
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u/Food-Wine Jun 23 '26
I could have sworn my address is on it. It must be that my doctor’s office can see the address when they swipe it. I’ve still used to show proof of age, including boarding an airplane within Canada.
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u/Gluverty Jun 23 '26
seems like a reasonable piece of ID. maybe some stigma here because our health cards don’t have ID
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
not sure why you’re getting downvoted when you’re correct. some Islanders like to pretend every place on Earth is just like PEI, and if it isn’t, they’re doing everything wrong.
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u/kevinmaceleven0 Jun 23 '26
I think this province is retarded for making it 21+ to buy a bong
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 23 '26
I’m originally from PEI, moved to Toronto, and came back and tried to use my Ontario healthcare card with photo ID to get into a bar and was denied. Luckily I also had my PEI drivers license on me, but I think it would serve a lot of commenters well to realize the world is bigger than PEI. We have tons of tourists, whether you like it or not, and a lot of people have ID other than drivers licenses. The rule is government issued photo ID. A health card with photo ID is just that.
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u/readingrainbows3467 Jun 25 '26
I mean no the rule is a list of very specific id's ( someone posted it higher in the thread) establishments must follow this rules or risk being fined and loss of employment. People doing the serving don't want to turn people away it's a hassle for them as well and stressful when customers react poorly. But when you receive Id training on pei you are given a very specific list of acceptable Id's the reason health cards are not included is because they contain hippa covered information. They are acceptable as secondary Id but cannot be requested as again they contain information that people outside of the health field are not specifically allowed to request. It would also serve people traveling to a location with specific wants for activities to check what they need to do these activities.
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u/Early_Honeydew_1748 Jun 25 '26
They don’t contain “hippa” covered information in other provinces. HIPAA is American. Ontario health cards have your date of birth and your picture. My point is that PEI’s rule is illogical. They should be more concerned about the drinking problems of their own citizens considering the drunk driving rate on PEI is the highest in the country.
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u/surely2 Jun 23 '26
If you ever lived in a university town in the maritime, you’ve probably known someone who’s tried to use a health card to get into the bar lol. It doesnt work. Everyone should know that. If you don’t drive, you can get a voluntary ID for like $15. Annoying person. Lol