I would think there should be some way to do it utilizing existing infrastructure, in the sense of making a deal with the provinces. People go to the motor vehicle branch, for example, to get a driver's licence. They have the equipment right there, where you stand there and it takes your picture and prints.
There has to be some way to do it relatively inexpensively. I know that it would be obviously more costly than not having any card, but it would be one way to further address this issue of what is or isn't acceptable. If you had to have a card, and the onus or responsibility was on the individual citizen to go to get their card, then....