A former Manitoba man is in a fight with the province over the spelling of his own name.
For 61 years, Jack MacKay has spelled his name as one word.
But, a few years ago, when the Surrey B.C. resident applied for a replacement birth certificate through the Manitoba’s Vital Statistics agency, he noticed there was a small space between “Mac” and “Kay.”
The misspelling has now affected documents such as a replacement marriage certificate and his current B.C. driver’s licence.
Thinking it was a simple data entry error, MacKay contacted Vital Statistics in Manitoba in order to get his birth certificate corrected.
"I was referred to the [Manitoba Vital Statistics] director. The director looked at the [birth certificate] and said, ‘It’s spelled correctly. There is a space.’ And I went, no there is not. Basically, I was arguing with someone about the correct spelling of my name!” says MacKay.
MacKay said he’s especially concerned about having two names because he works in a casino in B.C. and has to undergo routine criminal background checks.
“If they’re looking for Jack MacKay, who I am, they’re going to see I’m good. But if they’re looking for Jack Mac Kay, he doesn’t exist except in the ICBC’s driver’s licence database and at Manitoba Vital Statistics,” says MacKay.
His wife Susan MacKay is also worried that little space between her husband’s name may create bigger issues.
"What if he should pass away? His insurance is in MacKay, but [Manitoba Vital Statistics] is saying he’s Mac Kay, what happens to that money?” she asked.
The province of Manitoba said it is going by what was written on the original birth certification application where it appears Mac and Kay are two distinct words.
Officials have since offered to change it to “MacKay,” providing Jack’s mother Eileen Desrochers sign a document admitting she made a mistake.
But Desrocher said the province made the mistake by interpreting the name as two words.
“That’s not right is it? It doesn’t make sense to have it two words,” says Desrochers. “I don’t know why they won’t correct it and be done with it.”
Still, MacKay refuses to have his mother sign anything, believing it is the province that should own up to the error.
“I’m trying to establish I am who I am. It’s just been ridiculous is what it’s been,” he said.
A Winnipeg estate lawyer said having two separate name spellings would not pose any problems for a life insurance policy or will, provided the benefactors could prove both spellings were in fact the same person.
