Oshawa woman says she is left in dark over banking bungle

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A 75-year-old Oshawa woman says she has been struggling following a bank bungle that caused her hydro to be cut off.

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Jan McGregor — who once worked in the sports agent industry — is shocked at the situation bureaucracy and red tape has left her in.

“I helped represent some of the biggest athletes in the country, now look at me,” she told the Toronto Sun. “I always thought I was street smart and perceptive.”

On Monday, her power was turned back on. She blamed the incident on a miscommunication but did not put the burden on the power company.

McGregor’s woes began in March. For decades, she banked with HSBC without a hitch, but she said trouble followed when the Royal Bank of Canada bought out her bank.

She said that when HSBC account holders were transferred to RBC, she needed to pony up ID to re-register. The problem was she couldn’t find her birth certificate and had stopped driving several years before that.

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As many people will attest, getting new identification in terms of a passport, license or OHIP card can be harrowing.

“I haven’t been able to access my bank accounts since last March. I tried to tell them I was an HSBC customer for 35 years, but they insisted on two pieces of photo ID,” McGregor said.

Last week, she said her hydro was cut off due to what she attributed as a miscommunication.

“I have to go to my neighbour’s to use the Internet to try and sort this out. They’ve been wonderful,” she said.

She said she applied for a new birth certificate, but there were discrepancies in the spelling of her mother’s name resulting in more delays. The John Howard Society has helped her try to sort things out.

“I haven’t had any money since March to pay the bills and now they’re questioning my mom’s middle name. Thank God I live on a wonderful street here, where my neighbours have been terrific,” she said.

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“My place was completely dark. I sit outside during the day, but at night I’d have to sit in the dark. It was really, really depressing.”

A senior born in Canada and who needs a hip replacement is now facing a brick wall of bureaucracy to access her money and pay her bills.

“I’m a proud Canadian, I danced with Pierre Trudeau. What is this?” she said.

She said her husband of 49 years now lives in assisted care.

“I feel like I’m stranded on an island. No one cares. I feel humiliated and embarrassed. I always paid my bills on time. I’m a good person,” McGregor said.

The Toronto Sun has reached out to RBC for comment.

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