Ken Egilsson says he's prepared to go all the way to Canada’s Supreme Court in his fight to wear his Edmonton Oilers cap in his driver's licence photo.
When the Red Deer, Alberta man recently went to renew his expired driver’s licence on March 3rd, he cleared up his fines and paid the renewal fee. Egilsson’s problems began when the registry office asked him to remove his hat to take a new photo.
“Every other time they’ve asked me to remove my ball cap, I’ve shaken my head and said, ‘What a stupid law,’” he said. “This time, I stood my ground.”
Because of Egilsson’s refusal, the registry office staff said they could not issue him a new card.
Jo-Anne Nugent, spokeswoman with Service Alberta, said people who wear head coverings for religious and medical reasons can keep them on for driver’s licence or identification photos if they are worn daily for these purposes. But head coverings for fashion, work or even safety reasons need to be removed briefly for a photo.
“It’s important that the holder of a driver’s licence or identification card can be easily recognized through his or her photo and signature on the card,” Nugent said in an issued statement. “These are essential parts of the security of the province’s driver’s licences and identification cards.”
Now? Well, Egilsson doesn’t have a valid licence and says he’s prepared to take his fight all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
“Everybody should have a right to wear whatever they want on their head as a dressing as long as they’re not obscuring their face and it’s not offensive,” said Egilsson. “My hat, it’s my very personal beliefs that I want to wear it, just as personal as somebody’s religious beliefs.
“I don’t have the right to trample on their religious beliefs to wear anything, so nobody should have the right to trample on my personal beliefs to wear my hat.”
Apparently hockey is his religion.
