Ontario man 'outraged' to find licence stripped after admitting himself to hospital in mental health crisis

Navigating the depths of a mental health crisis in 2021, Austin Smith checked himself into a downtown Toronto psychiatric hospital, a decision that would unknowingly leave him without a driver's licence for years to come.

Navigating the depths of a mental health crisis in 2021, Austin Smith checked himself into a downtown Toronto psychiatric hospital, a decision that would unknowingly leave him without a driver's licence for years to come.

“I was able to recognize those symptoms and bring myself in,” the Toronto area resident said in an interview Friday. CTV News Toronto has agreed to provide anonymity to Smith, whose surname has been changed due to professional concerns.

Smith was hospitalized at the Centre for Mental Health and Addictions in downtown Toronto for depression and psychosis twice that year – once in the spring, for just under two weeks, and again in December, for just over a month.

In the weeks following, however, Smith says he was met with an unexpected wrinkle in his recovery – a letter from the Ontario government informed him his driver’s licence had been suspended.

“I was outraged,” Smith said.

“I had a job that was dependent on driving and I was absolutely stuck without a vehicle," he added. “Yes, I needed to seek mental health care, but it hadn’t affected my ability to drive."

Ultimately, the suspensions forced him to move from a small town just west of Barrie to the Greater Toronto Area, where transit was more readily available, he says.