On December 1, 2009, the Vital Statistics Agency introduced its commemorative birth certificate collection. The collection offers 42 different styles to choose from; 36 are stylized regional scenes of B.C. from Carol Christianson’s mural "Splendid Diversity - 36 More Wonders of the World".
Certificates are 28 cm x 35.5 cm and are printed in full colour on acid-free fine art paper. As the certificates combine to create a single mural, by purchasing several commemorative certificates, it is possible to create a striking continuous display like the one shown below.
This mural combines three scenes:
04 - Long Beach - Vancouver Island | 05 - Coastal Forest | 06 - Elk - Coastal Forest |
Note: Commemorative certificates cannot be used as official identification.
The following people may order a commemorative birth certificate:
The following information is included on a commemorative birth certificate:
*Note: Issuance of commemorative birth certificates with no sex displayed is not available at this time. To apply for an individual or parental birth certificate that does not display sex, please go to: Birth Certificates - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
Note: Births prior to 1951 may not include the weight or time of birth.
38 - Newborn White | 39 - Newborn Yellow | 40 - Newborn Green | 41 - Newborn Pink | 42 - Newborn Blue |
After you have confirmed that you are eligible to receive a commemorative birth certificate, you can apply in any one of the following four ways:
Use the Vital Statistics Agency's secure online ordering service. A credit card is required.
Send a completed Application for Genealogy Certificate (VSA 013) form (PDF, 796KB) with payment to:
Vital Statistics Agency
PO Box 9657 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 9P3
Please visit select Service BC locations, as not all Service BC locations offer this service. You do not need to fill out an application, but you will need to provide the customer service representative with the same details about the birth that are requested on the Application for Genealogy Certificate (VSA 013) form (PDF, 796KB). You will also need to provide payment.
Call the Vital Statistics Agency at 250 952-2681 in Victoria or 1 888 876-1633 elsewhere in B.C. A credit card is required.
$50 per commemorative birth certificate delivered by regular mail
Courier service is not available for commemorative birth certificates.