A 94-year-old World War II veteran is frustrated he can't get his Ontario health card renewed, because according to provincial guidelines, he can't prove he's a Canadian citizen.

On a routine visit to an Ottawa hospital a few months ago, staff reminded James Stuart Scharf that his Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card was about to expire.

When he went to renew his health card at a Service Ontario kiosk, he was told he couldn't prove his Canadian citizenship as required, because he only had a photocopy of his passport.

French Ambassador Nicolas Chapuis and Scharf at a ceremony to present Canadian veterans with the Legion of Honour at the French Embassy on November 10, 2015. (Gord Scharf/Supplied) "I fought a war, paid my taxes, everything else you can think of," said Scharf, "and they won't give me a card!"

Scharf misplaced his original passport, and he doesn't have a Canadian birth certificate because he was born in Scotland and moved here when he was two years old.

Subsequent trips to Service Ontario and inquiries by his family haven't resolved anything, and his son Gord Scharf called the whole ordeal "very frustrating".

"While I understand that a process has to be followed and documentation is required," said the younger Scharf, "We did have, what I would think, enough evidence by showing a copy of his passport that had expired less than a year, plus his other identification which includes a recent driver's licence, social insurance number, veteran's card, etc."

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care requires three separate documents to get a health card: proof of citizenship, proof of residence, and support of identity. Scharf has all but the first.

James Stuart Scharf at his Ottawa retirement residence with his son Gord. (Waubgeshig Rice, CBC News) To exacerbate the situation, Scharf fell outside of his west end retirement residence last week and had to spend the night in hospital.

But staff still accepted his expired health card, and assured his family he wouldn't be on the hook for the treatment bill.

Still, they'd rather not have to worry about that altogether. "At the end of the day, we wanted to get the situation addressed," said Gord Scharf. "Because while we've been assured that the card is going to continue to be accepted, we don't know for how long."

A spokesperson said the ministry can't comment publicly on individual cases.

But on Tuesday, Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi tweeted that he has contacted Service Ontario and the Minister of Health and Social Services about Scharf's case.

I am in contact w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/ONThealth">@ONThealth</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/ServiceOntario">@ServiceOntario</a> to get Mr. Scharf's health card renewed. <a href="https://t.co/6SEXTVUkDc">https://t.co/6SEXTVUkDc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCOttawa">@CBCottawa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/waub">@Waub</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttCity?src=hash">#OttCity</a> —@Yasir_Naqvi

Received France's Legion of Honour

In a special ceremony at the French Embassy in Ottawa last month, Scharf received France's Legion of Honour, an esteemed military recognition, along with other Canadian veterans who fought there during the Second World War.

"It was a lot easier for him to get one of France's highest decorations than it is to actually prove that he's a citizen," said his son.

Despite the accolades, the elder Scharf said his ongoing struggle to renew his health card has left him feeling "very cheated".

"I get very, very upset when I'm told I'm not a Canadian. It really hits you hard. There's no doubt about it. It hits you hard."