The Township Clerk and Deputy Clerk are appointed Commissioners for Taking Affidavits.  The Township office provides municipal document certification services and services of a Commissioner of Oaths. Residents should schedule appointments to attend and have documents commissioned. Please call 705-724-3526.

What is a Commissioner of Oath?

A commissioner of Oath is a person who authorizes by the Province of Ontario to take an oath when you sign an affidavit or statutory declaration. They are given this authority by the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act. The Commissioner is not responsible for the content of the affidavit, as it is the applicant who is swearing that the information is correct. 

The Commissioner of Oaths may sign affidavits and statutory declarations related, but not limited to the following:

    -Consent to Travel
    -declaration regarding residency (with accompanying documents)
    -vehicle transfers
    -change of proof of vehicle ownership
    -insurance claims
    -pension plan documents
    -statutory declarations on government-related forms

*It is at the exclusive discretion of the individual Commissioner of Oaths whether or not they choose to sign the document. A Commissioner of Oath is not a Notary Public and can not notarize documents.

Fees

• The fee for Commissioning of documents is $40.00 for first signature and second signature is $5.00 per copy of each document as outlined in the User Fee By-law. At this time payment must be made via cash or cheque.

Services we do not provide

• We cannot provide notarial certificates, certified true copies, or documents specifically requesting a notary public.
• We cannot authenticate documents. For document authentication please visit the Government of Canada’s website for more information. 
• We will not process documents relating to court documents, family law, estates or real estate matters. You need to take these documents to a lawyer for appropriate advice and assistance.
• We cannot provide you with any advice with respect to the documents that you are swearing. You need to read and fully understand the documents yourself.

Before having your document commissioned

• The document must be in English.
• You must present one original piece of government-issued photo identification (for example, a valid driver’s licence). A Health Card is not considered a valid form of government-issued photo identification. 
• You must be 18 years of age to take an oath in regard to a document. If you are under 18, additional notation will be made on the document.
• If a witness is required, bring someone who knows you. The witness must not be your spouse, child or relative. They may need to swear an Affidavit of Witness that you are who you claim to be and that they saw you sign the document.

Having your document commissioned

• Read the document completely in advance. This is extremely important as you will be swearing that the statements in the document are true. When signing under oath, you are swearing as if you are testifying in a court of law that the document contains true statements.
• Bring everything that you will need, including any letter of instruction from the person or office requesting the sworn statement.
• If a sworn statement indicates that there are copies of documents to be attached, you must bring those original documents with you, as well as the copies to be attached. Otherwise, the oath cannot be administered by the Commissioner.
• Do not sign the document in advance. You must sign the document in the presence of the Commissioner.

Pension documents from other countries

There are residents of Canada who were born in other countries and are entitled to receive pensions from their country of birth. These pensions require periodic verification that the pensioner is still living. A commissioner can provide this service if the document is in English.

Passport applications

Sworn Statement

• If you require a sworn statement on an application for a Canadian passport, a Commissioner can administer the oath and complete your statement.

Guarantor services

• Commissioners do not provide guarantor services for Canadian passport applications and certification of true copies.
• An individual cannot act as a guarantor and cannot sign an application unless they have known the applicant for a period of at least two years.  

Right to refuse service

• We have the right to refuse to commission documents where there is a possibility that we may be required to testify in a court of law.
• We reserve the right to refuse to commission documents for persons who are not capable of understanding them.