Yellowknife (Mar 31/03) - We've all seen one, we all need one, but would we feel at ease putting one in our wallet and carrying it around for the next two years?

Today marks the expiration of NWT health cards across the territory, but that doesn't mean residents are looking forward to obtaining new ones.

Duncan Canvin, a Fort Simpson village councillor, says he keeps his health card safe, high on a shelf at home unless he really needs to use it. Otherwise, the flimsy, paper card might wind up ruined in the laundry.

"They (GNWT) never seemed to have lost their love for paper," said Canvin. "It does look terribly unprofessional.

It wasn't too long ago that we had driver's licences you could fill in with crayons."

Other provinces give their residents more durable health cards made of plastic, similar in appearance to a credit card. Ontario health cards even include a photo of the holder.

Hay River South MLA and former health minister Jane Groenewegen said she would like to see the GNWT develop a health-care card format similar to Ontario's so youths under 16 can use the card for identification.

"One of the problems we're finding with our kids travelling is that their's no photo I.D. venue for kids," said Groenewegen.

"They have to take their passports everywhere because you can't even get onto an airplane domestically now without photo I.D."

Groenewegen says she can only fathom how difficult it must be for kids in smaller communities to obtain a passport, especially considering that many would have to travel to a larger centre and to a professional photographer to acquire an acceptable photo for one.

Laura Seddon, communications manager with Health and Social Services, said the department is considering going plastic but that could be more than year away.

She said the cataloguing system the department uses now is not compatible with the plastic card format.

"The current system requires that we still go with the paper route," said Seddon.

"With the upgrade next year that gives us the option to consider plastic."

For the time being, Seddon said if a card does get damaged the holder can call 1-800-661-0830 to obtain a new one.

Health cards are valid for two years.