# Foundling birth certificates (Ontario, Canada) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foundling-birth-certificates-ontario-canada/797181 "2017-09-24T14:12:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NoriMori](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/norimori/32/13254_2.png) [@NoriMori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoriMori)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foundling-birth-certificates-ontario-canada/797181/1 "2017-09-24T14:12:57Z")
In Ontario, if a baby is abandoned, their parents can’t be determined, and they’re made a crown ward, what is written in their registration of birth (and on their birth certificate) as far as who their parents are and where they were born? For example, in [the case of Angelica-Leslie](http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/adoption-process-can-proceed-for-angelica-leslie-1.308649), if her parents hadn’t been found, what would have been written in the spaces for parents and place of birth? Please don’t speculate based on how it’s recorded in other locales or how it was recorded in the 1800s; I am only interested in the facts about how this is handled in Ontario (either now or in the recent-ish past; as far back as 1990 or so is fine, and ~1990 would actually be preferable). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foundling-birth-certificates-ontario-canada/797181/2 "2017-09-24T16:29:14Z")
The place to look is the _Vital Statistics Act_ of Ontario: [Law Document English View | Ontario.ca](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90v04) . The current Act was passed in 1990, and there is a section dealing with registration of an abandoned child: s.16. However, the operative part of that section was repealed in 2004, and the issue is now governed by s. 9(2), which reads: > [@](#): > > **9** (2). A person who finds a new-born deserted child or who has received custody or care and control of an abandoned child and any other person as may be prescribed shall provide such information and documentation as may be prescribed in respect of the child’s birth in the manner, within the time and to the person prescribed in the regulations. > > (3) The Registrar General, acting on a certification under subsection (1) or information under subsection (2) or on such information as may be prescribed or as he or she considers appropriate, may register the birth of a child in Ontario of which he or she becomes aware. Filling out that statutory obligation, there are also the Regulations passed under the Vital Stats Act: [Law Document English View | Ontario.ca](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/901094#BK1) . Section 3(2) of the Regs requires the Registrar General to make every effort to identify the child, but failing that, s. 3(6) applies: > [@](#): > > **3** For the purposes of registering the birth, the Registrar General shall establish, > > (a) a date of birth and a place of birth for the child; and > > (b) a surname and given name for the child or, if the child is eligible to be given a single name, a single name for the child. So putting that together, looks like the Registrar General is charged with finding out as much info as possible about a foundling, and registering the child with whatever info they can find. At a guess, I think that means that the entry for parents would be “unknown” and the Registrar Gerneral gets to decide the child’s names. I think the reference to a “single name” would be for a case where investigation reveals how the parents are, so that would account for the last name, but there would still have to be a given name. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foundling-birth-certificates-ontario-canada/797181/3 "2017-09-25T00:11:38Z")
I believe the single name, where eligible, is for someone who comes from a culture with mononymics. I remember reading all odd exceptions when my kids were born. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foundling-birth-certificates-ontario-canada/797181/4 "2017-09-25T14:38:32Z")
You’re right - that makes sense. Now that you remind me, I did have a case a long time ago when a single name was part of the issue. ---
**Author:** ![NoriMori](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/norimori/32/13254_2.png) [@NoriMori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoriMori)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foundling-birth-certificates-ontario-canada/797181/5 "2017-10-11T01:50:00Z")
Thank you very much!