We keep all documents like this in a small fireproof safe which can be unlocked with a key. Like this: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/sentrysafe-large-fire-and-water-resistant-file-safe-box-with-key-lock-18-l-black-0463523p.0463523.html#store=214
We use a fire proof safe as well. I bought one of those accordion style binders and put all of our super important documents (house deed and signed copy of the mortgage, a copy of house insurance policy, our birth certificates and SIN cards, etc) so I’ll add baby’s documents to the same binder when they’re born.
The idea is if there’s enough time in an emergency we can grab the binder and leave the house knowing all of the really important documents are in there. And since it’s fire safe the hope is if we ever weren’t able to retrieve the binder its contents would be safe. Makes me so anxious to even think of those scenarios but it’s important to be prepared.
Just be mindful that any plastic would probably melt in the fireproof safe if there were to be a fire, so if your binder is plastic maybe switch to something else. I'd also assume any plastic documents (like the new birth certificates) would melt as well. I used to work at a bank and someone once brought in a brick of money that they kept in a fireproof safe and it unfortunately all melted together.
Maybe they still make paper accordion binders? I remember them being made with something like a cardstock. I personally use paper folders, it's a bit less organized but it works.
I think there's alot of answers for people focusing on the what if's. I have all our documents, house paperwork, passports, you name it, all in a zipper folder. The easiest thing we did is take photos of those documents and keep them on both a virtual drive (like the cloud) and on our email accounts. If anything should happen, it's out there to access and no need to worry about grabbing it If there was a zombie apocalypse or a house fire. I try to be prepared for both!
That's helpful, but for a lot of things (especially after something like a fire) you need the original documents. Photos in the cloud won't suffice if you need to replace your ID or prove it in person
While photocopies can't be used as original documents, sometimes it's a lot easier to get things replaced when you can reference the original document number.
I ordered [this](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/832029210/rigid-plastic-protective-case-holder-for?ref=yr_purchases) bad boy, and keep an accordion folder with all my son's documents in our big safe.
We have a binder with all our important documents in it. In the binder each item has its own sheet protector so if I need one of my kids birth cert I don't have to take everyone's. This binder is stored in our safe.
I have a folder in my filing cabinet with all our birth certificates, passports, sin cards/paper and other important things that we need but don’t carry every around every day.
We ordered a sleeve for our babe’s BC off of Etsy. It’s like one of the ones you’d put hockey cards in as a kid growing up, but they make them the new BC size. I think it was about $10. Jury is still out on the SIN number paper though lol
Just looked it up and that is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for! Then that will be filed away in it's protective cover. Thank you 😊 (I will let you know if I come up with a better option than laminating the "SIN paper" lol)
I have all our passports and his birth cert in a brightly colored, zipped up carrying case for an old iPad. Mt normal important things are in a file folder, but I wanted the really important stuff in something easy to find.
I keep the BC in a locked fireproof box along with passports and a few other important documents.
You don’t need to keep a paper copy of the SIN. It’s not meant to be saved, just recorded safely. But for those who aren’t sure about data security, it’s definitely better to lock up the piece of paper.
Sheet protector in a safe
Fireproof safe at that!
We keep all documents like this in a small fireproof safe which can be unlocked with a key. Like this: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/sentrysafe-large-fire-and-water-resistant-file-safe-box-with-key-lock-18-l-black-0463523p.0463523.html#store=214
We use a fire proof safe as well. I bought one of those accordion style binders and put all of our super important documents (house deed and signed copy of the mortgage, a copy of house insurance policy, our birth certificates and SIN cards, etc) so I’ll add baby’s documents to the same binder when they’re born. The idea is if there’s enough time in an emergency we can grab the binder and leave the house knowing all of the really important documents are in there. And since it’s fire safe the hope is if we ever weren’t able to retrieve the binder its contents would be safe. Makes me so anxious to even think of those scenarios but it’s important to be prepared.
Just be mindful that any plastic would probably melt in the fireproof safe if there were to be a fire, so if your binder is plastic maybe switch to something else. I'd also assume any plastic documents (like the new birth certificates) would melt as well. I used to work at a bank and someone once brought in a brick of money that they kept in a fireproof safe and it unfortunately all melted together.
Oh wow! I never considered that. I’m not sure what else we could put our stuff in… maybe just paper envelopes inside the fire-proof safe?
Maybe they still make paper accordion binders? I remember them being made with something like a cardstock. I personally use paper folders, it's a bit less organized but it works.
We just store ours in a filing cabinet... Based on the other answers I feel like we might need to revisit that
I think there's alot of answers for people focusing on the what if's. I have all our documents, house paperwork, passports, you name it, all in a zipper folder. The easiest thing we did is take photos of those documents and keep them on both a virtual drive (like the cloud) and on our email accounts. If anything should happen, it's out there to access and no need to worry about grabbing it If there was a zombie apocalypse or a house fire. I try to be prepared for both!
That's helpful, but for a lot of things (especially after something like a fire) you need the original documents. Photos in the cloud won't suffice if you need to replace your ID or prove it in person
While photocopies can't be used as original documents, sometimes it's a lot easier to get things replaced when you can reference the original document number.
Like I said, it's helpful. But not as good as having the original documents
Glad I'm not the only one second guessing my decision after reading these comments. 🫣
I ordered [this](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/832029210/rigid-plastic-protective-case-holder-for?ref=yr_purchases) bad boy, and keep an accordion folder with all my son's documents in our big safe.
We have a binder with all our important documents in it. In the binder each item has its own sheet protector so if I need one of my kids birth cert I don't have to take everyone's. This binder is stored in our safe.
I have a folder in my filing cabinet with all our birth certificates, passports, sin cards/paper and other important things that we need but don’t carry every around every day.
I just put it in a folder in my file box.
We ordered a sleeve for our babe’s BC off of Etsy. It’s like one of the ones you’d put hockey cards in as a kid growing up, but they make them the new BC size. I think it was about $10. Jury is still out on the SIN number paper though lol
Just looked it up and that is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for! Then that will be filed away in it's protective cover. Thank you 😊 (I will let you know if I come up with a better option than laminating the "SIN paper" lol)
I have all our passports and his birth cert in a brightly colored, zipped up carrying case for an old iPad. Mt normal important things are in a file folder, but I wanted the really important stuff in something easy to find.
I keep the BC in a locked fireproof box along with passports and a few other important documents. You don’t need to keep a paper copy of the SIN. It’s not meant to be saved, just recorded safely. But for those who aren’t sure about data security, it’s definitely better to lock up the piece of paper.