Research, Advocacy, and Media

This page contains links to research, advocacy, and media related to ID Action.

Reports

• Burnett, Kristin, Chris Sanders, and Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, with NorWest Community Health Centres, and the ID Action Group of Thunder Bay. 2022. “A CALL TO ACTION: Eliminate Systemic Barriers to Obtaining and Keeping Ontario Birth Certificates.” An Advocacy paper on the importance of eliminating fees to obtaining birth certificates in Ontario.
• Colour of Poverty-Colour of Change, Black Legal Action Centre Campaign 2020, Chinese and Southeast Legal Clinic, Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, Kristin Burnett, and Chris Sanders. 2020. “Joint Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child at Its 87th Session and Review of the Fifth and Sixth Periodic Reports of Canada.”

Commentary

• Burnett, Kristin and Chris Sanders. 2020. “Lack of ID Can Endanger Already Vulnerable People During COVID-19 Pandemic.” The Conversation (October 07).
• Thomas, Cheyanne, Fabienne Spiess. 2019. OPINION: “In Ontario, birth certificates aren’t a natural birthright – and that fact hits the North the hardest.” The Globe and Mail (December 22).
• Burnett, Kristin, Chris Sanders*, and Elyse Cottrell. 2019. “‘Who We Are’: A Snapshot of Clients Accessing the Awenen Niin Identification Program.”

Featured in Media

• Dontsos, Emily. 2025. “Lack of birth certificate can be life-crippling.” The Chronicle Journal (July 05).
• Thompson, Jon. 2022. “Identity documentation is northwestern Ontario’s ‘invisible problem,’ researchers say.” CBC News (Sept 19).
• Staff Writer. 2022. “Report calls for the elimination of systemic barriers in obtaining and keeping birth certificates.” Education News Canada (Sept 19).
• White, Adalyn. 2022. “The report identifies systemic barriers to obtaining birth certificates in Ontario.” Canada Today: Quebec News (Sept 17).
• Staff Writer. 2022. “Report calls for elimination of systemic barriers in obtaining, keeping birth certificates” TBnewswatch.com (Sept 17).
• Fiddler, Willow. 2022. “Report identifies systemic barriers to getting Ontario birth certificates.” The Globe and Mail (Sept 17).
• Content Team. 2022. “Report calls for the elimination of systemic barriers in obtaining and keeping birth certificates.” Sault Online (Sept 16).
• Staff Writer. 2019. “Lakehead University researchers study lack of personal ID on First Nations,” tbnewswatch.com (May 24).

Featured Interview

• Garrick, Rick. 2019. “Lack of personal identification ‘serious problem across the north’ says Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic director of administration.” The Anishinabek News (June 20).
• Linton, Brent. 2019. “Researchers cover health, sociological topics,” The Chronicle-Journal, p. A2 (May 24).
• Interviewed by Jonathan Pinto, CBC Radio: Up North, “Lakehead study finds systemic barriers in obtaining birth certificates” (aired 16 Sept 2022).
• Radio Canada: ICI Nord de l’Ontario, “Difficile d’obtenir un certificat de naissance en Ontario, selon une étude” (aired 16 Sept 2022).
• “MEDIA ADVISORY: MPP Monteith-Farrell presents bill to eliminate fees for basic ID for Ontarians,” Participated in support of MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell’s PMB (aired 04 March 2021). 
• Interviewed (with Dr. K. Burnett) by Amy Hadley, CBC Radio, our article on the impact of COVID-19 on ID services and our broader research on PID (aired 19 November 2020).
• Interviewed by Lisa Laco, CBC Radio: Superior Morning, regarding SSHRC New Frontiers in Research Fund award project (aired 27 May 2019).