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Protecting your rights for 50 years

It’s hard to believe Ombudsman Ontario’s 50th anniversary year is already drawing to a close. As we look ahead to our second half-century of protecting the rights of all Ontarians, Ombudsman Paul Dubé shares some recent highlights of this milestone year.

Read the Message from the Ombudsman
Empty plastic bottles hang from a patio in Neskantaga First Nation

Deploring unacceptable conditions in Neskantaga First Nation

On September 16 and 17, I was invited by Chief Gary Quisess to the community of Neskantaga First Nation, an Ojibwe community located on Attiwapiskat Lake in Northern Ontario, close to 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.

It is shocking that in 2025, after decades of promises from federal and provincial governments, Neskantaga First Nation continues to suffer under unacceptable conditions, including boil-water advisories, a lack of education and inadequate access to health care.

Read the Message from the Ombudsman

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Indigenous people

We help everyone with concerns about Ontario public services. If you are Indigenous, we will make sure your rights and cultural safety are respected.

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Children, youth and families

We help young people and their families get fair treatment from public services. We make sure children and teens know their rights and their voices are heard.

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French speakers

Everyone has the right to receive services in French from the government of Ontario. We can help you in French with any concern you have about a government or public service.

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Our work

See more of our work

Lost in Transition

Investigation into whether the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health are taking adequate steps to address the inappropriate hospitalization of adults with developmental disabilities

Missed Messages

Investigation into unilingual out-of-home government advertising regarding health services between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2023.

Rights Unrecognized: Mia’s Story

Investigation into the adequacy of services provided by York Region Children’s Aid Society to “Mia”

What we can help you with

Certificates and permits

Issues with birth, death or marriage certificates, driver’s licences and other identification documents, provincial and municipal permits, and more.

Children and youth

Issues with children’s services like children’s aid societies and Indigenous child and family well-being agencies, foster homes or group homes, special needs supports, youth justice, and more.

Education

Issues related to daycare, early childhood education, public school (K-12), colleges and universities, as well as adult learning, post-secondary grants and loans, and more.

Employment

Issues with workplace injury compensation, Employment Standards Act claims or appeals, apprenticeship programs, and more.

Energy and environment

Issues related to municipal hydro, natural resources, parks, environmental assessments, Indigenous hunting and fishing rights, land use planning, wildlife protection, and more.

French language services

Issues with obtaining provincial government services and information in French.

Health

Issues with OHIP coverage, funding for drugs and assistive devices, inspections of long-term care homes and ambulance services, and more.

Law and order

Issues like police oversight and training, provincial correctional facilities, youth justice centres, tribunals and court services, and more.

Money and property

Issues related to lotteries, property assessments, liquor and cannabis sales, provincial tax rebates for First Nations or other groups, and more.

Municipalities

Issues with local government services, councils and committees, by-law enforcement, infrastructure, garbage and snow removal, and more.

Social services

Issues with family and spousal support payments, Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, special needs programs and funding for adults and children, and more.

Transportation

Issues with driver’s licences, driver testing, public transit, vehicle registration, roads and highways, and more.

News

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January 5, 2026

Ombudsman marks 10 years of oversight of municipalities across Ontario

Paul Dubé: More than 30,000 cases since 2016 resulted in improved local services and governance for millions of residents
December 22, 2025

Newsletter - French Language Services Commissioner highlights progress made on language rights in 2024-2025

December 10, 2025

Statement from the Commissioner on the expansion of French-language government services in six areas of the province

(December 10, 2025) As French Language Services Commissioner, I am pleased that our recommendations were integrated in the Ontario government’s update to the map of Ontario’s designated areas under...