Regina pharmacy holds ID clinic to help those without housing access services

People in need of housing find it’s impossible to get a place without photo ID but Saskatchewan residents first need an address to get an ID card. Queen City Wellness Pharmacy helps clients maneuver the system.

“One of our barriers to housing people was the identification so we needed photo I.D. to apply for housing, we needed photo I.D. for social services, we needed photo I.D. to get our health cards, but in order to get our photo I.D., we needed those other three documents, explained Shylo Stevenson with Queen City Wellness Pharmacy.

“So it was a catch-22.”

To solve the problem, the drug store brought government agencies together for an ID clinic on Saturday. Sarah Kozusko, a pharmacist at Queen City Wellness Pharmacy, vouched for the identity of her customers.

“We’ve had relationships with people for years so because of those relationships we can be a guarantor for them,” she said.

SGI, which issues photo ID in Saskatchewan, waived the fees and accepted the drug store as a mailing address.

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Organizations like the Queen City Wellness Pharmacy that has an established address, some people are going to be using their address for their mailing address for their SGI identification so we can contact them by mail if necessary,” said Tyler McMurchy, a spokesperson for SGI.

Health and First Nations status cards were also issued on the spot.

“I’m not surprised that there were a lot of people that showed up more than I thought they would but I’m actually glad. There’s a lot of people here coming to get their treaty cards and not only their treaty cards, their birth certificates, their health,” said Skylar Bear with Ochapowace First Nation.

People lined up out the door to take advantage of the ID clinic, confirming the need for fewer obstacles to obtaining identification in Saskatchewan.