Farewell paper health cards: Alberta rolling out new 3-in

The Alberta government will begin rolling out three-in-one identification cards, ultimately replacing the province’s long-reviled paper health cards.

Starting July 2, new driver’s licences and ID cards will include resident’s health numbers and citizenship markers, a move the government says will streamline access to services.

But the inclusion of a citizenship marker has drawn concern it will lead to discrimination.

The iconography of the card is changing, too.

An oil pumpjack replaces the icon of a dinosaur fossil, and the words “Alberta Strong and Free” mark the back.

Eventually, the cards will be made available for children who are eligible for provincial health-care insurance.