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December 7, 2023

7 December 2023

French language services commissioner receives highest level of complaints and inquiries since 2019 (The Trillium)

The commissioner released his annual report on Thursday

October 23, 2023

23 October 2023

An interview with Diana Cooke, Director, Children and Youth Unit, Ontario Ombudsman (OBA)

I have had the pleasure of working with Diana Cooke for several years. Diana is the Director of Children and Youth at Ombudsman Ontario. Previously, she worked at the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth as the Director of Advocacy and later as the Director of Investigations. Diana’s experience includes working with young people involved in the youth court, child welfare, and emergency shelter systems. She holds both a Master of Social Work and a Master of Laws degree.

October 5, 2023

5 October 2023

Correctional facilities continue to bring in the most complaints and inquiries to provincial ombudsman: report (The Trillium)

Ombudsman Paul Dubé released his 2022-23 annual report on Thursday.

September 7, 2023

7 September 2023

Long-term care inspections system was overwhelmed by first wave of COVID-19, ombudsman finds (Toronto Star)

Ontario’s long-term care inspections branch was overwhelmed and “unprepared” during the first wave of COVID-19 says a new report from the province’s ombudsman, who has made 76 recommendations to improve the system.

September 7, 2023

7 September 2023

Living conditions ‘like hell’: Ontario Ombudsman reports on pandemic LTC inspection failures (The Trillium)

The inspection system ‘collapsed’ and instead of action, concerned loved ones were given ‘key messages,’ the watchdog finds

September 7, 2023

7 September 2023

Ontario ombudsman urges stronger enforcement of LTC rules (Global News)

Ontario’s Ministry of Long-Term Care needs to ensure in-person inspections of nursing homes can take place in a future pandemic and that inspectors can immediately act when residents are at risk of ongoing serious harm, the province’s ombudsman said Thursday.

September 7, 2023

7 September 2023

Ontario's LTC inspection system fell apart during 1st COVID-19 wave: report (CBC)

Province conducted no long-term care home inspections in spring of 2020

September 7, 2023

7 September 2023

Ontario government oversight of long-term care homes 'largely collapsed' during pandemic, ombudsman finds (CTV News)

The Ministry of Long-Term Care’s oversight mechanisms “largely collapsed” when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with on-site inspections of long-term care homes grinding to a halt for nearly two months during the first wave of the pandemic, according to an investigation by Ontario’s ombudsman.

May 4, 2023

4 May 2023

Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board 'fundamentally failing,' ombudsman finds (CBC)

Backlog of cases at the LTB now more than 38,000

May 4, 2023

4 May 2023

Ombudsman calls for change at failing LTB (Canadian Apartment)

Ombudsman Paul Dubé paints a grim picture of the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in his latest investigation report, released May 4th. Long plagued by severe backlogs, staff shortages, and antiquated technology, LTB operations have only gotten worse thanks to the added pressures of COVID-19 lockdowns, remote work, eviction moratoriums and virtual hearings.

May 4, 2023

4 May 2023

‘Excruciating delays’ at Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board: Ombudsman report (Global News)

A backlog of cases at Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board has grown to 38,000 and it is taking an average of seven or eight months — sometimes up to two years — for a hearing to be scheduled, the province’s ombudsman said Thursday.

April 13, 2023

13 April 2023

Ontario ombudsman slams foster care company, child welfare agencies for failing Indigenous girl (Global News)

When a 13-year-old Indigenous girl repeatedly went missing from foster care in southwestern Ontario, the company looking after her kept assuring police it had no safety concerns.

April 13, 2023

13 April 2023

Urgent Action Needed: Child Welfare Organizations Must Implement Changes to Protect Vulnerable Indigenous Children (NetNewsLedger)

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé has released a report titled “Missing In Inaction, Misty’s Story”, which details how multiple child welfare organizations failed to ensure the safety of an Indigenous girl named Misty, who repeatedly went missing while receiving supervised services from a foster care agency.

April 13, 2023

13 April 2023

Child-welfare agencies failed Indigenous girl from North: Ombudsman (Sudbury Star)

Actions not taken when young teen went missing from foster care, report finds

April 13, 2023

13 April 2023

Child welfare agencies failed to protect vulnerable Indigenous child: Ombudsman (APTN National News)

Misty went missing seven times while living under the care of Johnson Children’s Services in an undisclosed city.

December 20, 2022

20 December 2022

'A situation of chronic neglect:' Ombudsman releases scathing report after boy found malnourished and living in squalor (CP24)

A 10-year-old boy was found malnourished and living in squalor in October 2018 but the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto refused to take him into their custody, prompting “horrified” police officers to step in.

December 20, 2022

20 December 2022

Ombudsman rebukes Toronto children’s aid in first child protection investigation (Law Times)

Toronto children's aid 'repeatedly failed to comply with child protection standards'

September 13, 2022

13 September 2022

Ombudsman closes file on contentious 2016 chief administrative officer hiring (Standard Reporter)

Niagara Region implemented all 16 recommendations from J. Paul Dubé’s report

August 15, 2022

15 August 2022

Teaching police how to handle people in crisis (The Star)

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé has renewed his call for standardized and mandatory training for police officers in deescalation for dealing with people in crisis.

August 10, 2022

10 August 2022

Correctional facilities remains top source of complaints to Ontario Ombudsman (QP Briefing)

Inmates in Ontario jails were only allowed to leave their cells for 30 minutes a day during lockdowns, according to Ontario’s annual Ombudsman report.

August 10, 2022

10 August 2022

Ombudsman calls out Ontario for 'painfully slow' progress on police de-escalation training (CBC News)

Paul Dubé says he’s considering second investigation if he doesn’t see progress.

May 4, 2022

4 May 2022

Ombudsman finds 'deficiencies' in closures of youth jail programs in Northern Ontario (Law Times)

Ontario 'deliberately avoided transparency' in planning and implementing closures: Ombudsman report

April 27, 2022

27 April 2022

Ombudsman report details failures by province in handling closure of youth detention facilities (TBnewswatch.com)

The Ontario Ombudsman released a report that includes 16 recommendations after finding the provincial government’s plan and implementation to close two Northern Ontario youth custody and detention programs lacked transparency, communication, and consultation with Indigenous groups and communities

April 26, 2022

26 April 2022

Ontario’s ‘secrecy’ when closing youth jails hurt Indigenous teens, ombud finds (The Star)

Provincial government officials “deliberately avoided transparency” when they abruptly closed two youth jails in northern Ontario last year, leaving staff in the dark while failing to consider the best interests of the Indigenous youth who had to be suddenly transferred, Ontario’s Ombudsman concluded on Tuesday.

April 26, 2022

26 April 2022

Ontario ombudsman's report details flawed closures of youth justice programs in northwest (CBC)

The government was wrong and unreasonable in how it closed custody and detention programs at youth justice facilities in Ontario's northwest region last year, the provincial ombudsman has concluded.

March 31, 2022

31 March 2022

Laurentian University violated French Language Services Act when it cut programs: report (CBC)

The Sudbury university eliminated 29 French-language programs in April 2021

March 31, 2022

31 March 2022

Laurentian program cuts violated French Language Services Act, commissioner finds (Sudbury.com)

Commissioner Kelly Burke found Laurentian University, Ministry of Francophone Affairs and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities failed to meet their obligations under the legislation

March 31, 2022

31 March 2022

Laurentian neglected obligations under French Language Services Act, says language commissioner (CTV)

A new report says Laurentian University, the Ministry of Francophone Affairs and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities neglected their obligations under the law when French language programs were cut.

January 10, 2022

10 January 2022

Ontario Ombudsman's French Language Services Unit develops tool to assess French-language services (Law Times)

Fairness, logistics, services, and communication are tool standards

December 7, 2021

7 December 2021

Language commissioner proposes tool to assess availability, quality of French services (QP Briefing)

Ontario French Language Services Commissioner Kelly Burke said her office received 351 complaints related to accessing French language services, a 15 per cent increase from the previous year.

June 29, 2021

29 June 2021

Ontario ombudsman highlights lack of oversight of public health units (CP24)

Local public health units, which have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, lack independent oversight, Ontario's ombudsman said Tuesday, calling on the province address the issue as soon as possible.

May 20, 2021

20 May 2021

Ontario ombudsman calls for overhaul of ‘wholly inadequate’ paramedic services oversight system (Global News)

Ontario’s ombudsman is calling on the provincial government to revamp the oversight system for paramedic services, saying it’s “complicated, overburdened, and wholly inadequate.”

December 10, 2020

10 December 2020

French language services commissioner said ‘adequate planning’ would have resolved most complaints (QP Briefing)

French Language Services Commissioner Kelly Burke said most of the complaints her office has received about access to services and materials in French could have been avoided with "adequate planning."

October 6, 2020

6 October 2020

Ontario ombudsman blasts ‘outdated’ police training tool that emphasizes weapons over de-escalation, despite repeated calls for change (The Star)

More than four years after a scathing report cited “neglected” provincial officer training as a factor in fatal shootings, the Ontario ombudsman is blasting the “glacial” pace of police reform as the province has still not fixed central problems he identified.

July 28, 2020

28 July 2020

Ombudsman’s office deals with 3,014 complaints (North Bay Nugget)

North Bay, West Nipissing tied at 13

The Ontario Ombudsman’s Office received more than a dozen complaints each involving the City of North Bay and Municipality of West Nipissing last year.

July 2, 2020

2 July 2020

Ontario ombudsman report highlights ‘appalling’ jail conditions, COVID-19 complaints (The Lawyers Daily)

Hailing the past 12 months as a “year like no other,” the Ontario ombudsman has released a fiscal 2019-20 report that highlights, among other things, his office’s handling of more than 800 COVID-19-related complaints and inquiries, about 600 Landlord and Tenant Board complaints and a record number of complaints about Ontario correctional facilities — more than 6,000.

June 30, 2020

30 June 2020

Ontario’s ombudsman received more than 800 complaints due to COVID-19 (The Star)

Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé says his investigation into the high death toll from COVID-19 at nursing homes is looking at how more inspections and higher standards could have saved lives.

June 30, 2020

30 June 2020

Ontario ombudsman receives record number of complaints about provincial jails (The Canadian Press)

Report details problems with overcrowding, poor living conditions, lack of access to medical care

May 13, 2020

13 May 2020

Near North board ‘well on way’ to addressing ombudsman report (North Bay Nugget)

The Near North District School Board “is well on the way” to meeting all the recommendations contained in an ombudsman’s report.
 

January 15, 2020

15 January 2020

‘We want young people calling us directly’: head of the new children and youth unit in the Ontario ombudsman’s office (QP Briefing)

The message Ontario’s Ombudsman Paul Dubé and the head of his office’s new children and youth unit want to share with young people across the province is: if you have a question, call.

May 9, 2019

9 May 2019

'We have the people to do it': Ontario ombudsman pledges 'care' in taking over child welfare probes (CBC News)

Paul Dube's office now has specialized unit to handle investigative functions of former child advocate

May 7, 2019

7 May 2019

Ombudsman’s new open meeting case digest (Municipal World)

Imagine you are an Ontario municipal councillor, perusing the agenda for your next meeting, and you see that a new report by the municipality’s integrity commissioner is scheduled to be discussed behind closed doors. You wonder, is that appropriate?

February 1, 2019

1 February 2019

Politicians cannot do the work of independent officers of the Legislature (QP Briefing)

A recent column by Deb Hutton, published by Queen’s Park Briefing on January 18, raised provocative questions about the role and usefulness of independent officers of the Legislature.

November 7, 2018

7 November 2018

Ontario ombudsman offers masterclass in public impact: ‘Our power is in our voice’ (The Mandarin)

Successful legal advocates must not only bring together evidence to successfully make their case, they must also craft a clear argument around a compelling narrative, and the same goes for an ombudsman or public advocate.

October 30, 2018

30 October 2018

Cannabis delivery complaints under review by Office of the Ontario Ombudsman (CTV News)

The Office of the Ontario Ombudsman says it has received complaints over delays in the delivery of cannabis in the province, almost two weeks since the drug was legalized across the country.

April 25, 2018

25 April 2018

Police officer 'gave himself the space and time' in high-stakes arrest: experts (National Post)

Experts say the powerful video of Alek Minassian’s arrest reveals a textbook case of an officer defusing danger through a series of life-and-death choices based on training and a calm mind.

March 14, 2018

14 March 2018

Provincial and university ombuds promote accountability on campus (University Affairs)

Ontario universities came under the provincial ombudsman’s oversight in 2016. The office has since received more than 500 university-related complaints.

August 11, 2017

11 August 2017

Toronto’s school bus woes demonstrate the risks of reinventing the wheel (TVO)

It was, as they say, a teachable moment. In September 2016, at a time when parents have more than enough on their minds, Toronto’s school bus network was in chaos: some buses showed up late in the mornings, others not at all. And at the end of the day, drivers in some cases dropped kids off long distances from where they were supposed to.

August 10, 2017

10 August 2017

School boards blamed for bus problems that stranded thousands of students (The Toronto Star)

The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board are responsible for systemic failure and communication breakdown, report says.

August 10, 2017

10 August 2017

'Communication failures' caused school bus crisis of 2016, Ontario ombudsman's report reveals (CBC News)

Ontario's ombudsman is reassuring Toronto parents the school bus woes that left thousands of students scrambling to get to class last fall was caused by "communication failures" — and they won't be repeated this September.

June 27, 2017

27 June 2017

Ontario ombudsman investigates cases where drivers miss notice of licence suspension (The Star)

Ombudsman cites “weak links” at transportation ministry in cases when drivers not notified their licences have been suspended.

June 27, 2017

27 June 2017

It looks like change is finally coming to the Family Responsibility Office (TVO)

Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé’s latest report includes the usual litany of problems at the agency that’s supposed to enforce child support payments. Still, Dubé says things are getting better.

June 27, 2017

27 June 2017

10 notable cases from the Ontario ombudsman's annual report (QP Briefing)

Paul Dubé on Tuesday released his annual report into the 21,328 complaints his office received in 2016-17.

June 7, 2017

7 June 2017

The Role of the Ombudsman (OPC Register)

Working with school boards to resolve complaints

April 24, 2017

24 April 2017

Ontario prisons use solitary confinement too often, and for the wrong reasons (TVO)

ANALYSIS: Ombudsman Paul Dubé says the province's segregation practices need serious revision — and that the government has long been aware of systemic problems

April 24, 2017

24 April 2017

It’s high time to track and reduce the use of solitary confinement: Editorial (The Star)

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé’s report last week on solitary confinement found a ministry that literally doesn’t know how many prisoners are being held in it for how long.

April 20, 2017

20 April 2017

Ontario ombudsman slams segregation use (Canadian Press)

TORONTO — Vulnerable inmates are being put at risk due to Ontario's highly flawed system of segregation, the province's ombudsman said Thursday.

April 20, 2017

20 April 2017

'Unreasonable, wrong, oppressive': Segregation tracking system a failure, ombudsman reports (Ottawa Citizen)

An Ottawa jail inmate with apparent mental health issues and a diminished cognitive ability that made it difficult for him to carry on a conversation spent more than a year in segregation, an investigation by the province’s ombudsman found.

April 20, 2017

20 April 2017

Ontario routinely flouts solitary-confinement rules: report (The Globe and Mail)

Following a six-month investigation, Ontario’s Ombudsman has found that the province routinely flouts its own rules around solitary confinement in prisons, regularly losing track of how long prisoners have spent in the restrictive cells as well as why they were placed there.

April 20, 2017

20 April 2017

Ontario's solitary confinement tracking system 'wrong ... oppressive': ombudsman ‘We probably tracked livestock better than we do human beings’ — ministry official (iPolitics.ca)

After a shocking case of solitary confinement in one Ontario prison was exposed last fall, the province’s ombudsman has revealed a system that fails to track how long inmates remain in segregation and largely ignores policies meant to ensure segregation placements are both reviewed and justified.

April 20, 2017

20 April 2017

‘Serious problems’ in use of segregation in prisons, Ontario ombudsman reports (The Star)

Paul Dubé calls on provincial government to better track and monitor use of solitary confinement.

April 6, 2017

6 April 2017

Province commits to releasing all past and present SIU reports as recommended in police review (CBC News)

'As a family we felt that ... positive things have happened related to Andrew's death,' Loku's uncle says.

December 12, 2016

12 December 2016

Point the finger at lack of de-escalation training, ombudsman says at Ottawa forum (Orleans News)

Paul Dubé, Ontario’s ombudsman, addressed a crowd including Ottawa police at the police service’s second annual Human Rights Learning Forum on Dec. 8 at the St. Elias Centre.

December 2, 2016

2 December 2016

Ontario ombudsman announces review of process of placing prisoners in solitary (The Star)

Review follows in the wake of the Adam Capay case and a rising number of complaints.

December 2, 2016

2 December 2016

Ontario ombudsman investigating province's use of solitary confinement (The Globe and Mail)

Ontario’s Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the way the province tracks and reviews the placement of prisoners in solitary confinement.

December 2, 2016

2 December 2016

Ontario Ombudsman has had more than 500 complaints about use of solitary confinement (The London Free Press)

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube is adding his voice to the growing questions about segregation in the province’s jails, launching a probe into the controversial practice.

November 4, 2016

4 November 2016

Family Responsibility Office received 1,000+ complaints last year, needs 'urgent change' (CBC Toronto)

A Toronto mother says she's been in bureaucratic limbo for more than six months after filing an application with the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) in order to retrieve missing child support payments.

 

November 2, 2016

2 November 2016

Ottawa jail in the top three for complaints, despite fewer inmates (Ottawa Citizen)

The Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre remained among the three most complained about jails in Ontario, a dubious distinction it earned despite being the only jail in the top five that housed fewer than 1,000 inmates.

November 2, 2016

2 November 2016

Agency that enforces child support generates most complaints: Ombudsman (Canadian Press)

TORONTO -- Ontario's Family Responsibility Office, which enforces court-ordered child and spousal support payments, tops the list of provincial government organizations generating complaints to the ombudsman's office.

September 26, 2016

26 September 2016

Ombudsman investigating recent school busing problems at TDSB and TCDSB (CTV News)

Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé will probe the recent school busing problems at the city’s two primary boards, his office announced Monday.

September 26, 2016

26 September 2016

Ombudsman launches investigation into Toronto school bus chaos (The Star)

Paul Dubé announced on Monday that the TDSB and TCDSB will be investigated as the shortage of drivers continues to frustrate Toronto parents.

September 19, 2016

19 September 2016

Ontario ombudsman reports 182 complaints received about universities (The Varsity)

Ombudsman’s university oversight began in January.

September 9, 2016

9 September 2016

Ontario's ombudsman will probe school bus driver shortage (CBC News)

Paul Dubé could make recommendations to solve the problem and improve future services.

September 6, 2016

6 September 2016

Ombudsman's office resolves most complaints about schools without investigations (The Canadian Press)

TORONTO - The office of Ontario's ombudsman received more than 700 complaints in the first year it had oversight of school boards, but says 85 per cent were resolved without a formal investigation.

August 30, 2016

30 August 2016

Ombudsman congratulated for report (Sarnia Observer)

I would like to congratulate the Ontario Ombudsman, Paul Dubé, on the thoroughness of his report on developmental services in Ontario (Sarnia Observer, Aug 26). The report highlights situations of crisis and challenges of access into services for adults with developmental disabilities. The crisis circumstances described within the report are unacceptable.

August 25, 2016

25 August 2016

Heartbreaking cycle for those with developmental disabilities needs to end (Toronto Sun)

The stories are horrific.

Patrick, 24, had cerebral palsy and couldn’t speak. He was placed in a local nursing home because his mother could no longer cope with his aggressive outbursts.

August 24, 2016

24 August 2016

Treatment of adults with developmental disabilities 'deeply flawed': Ombudsman (Ottawa Citizen)

The way Ontario cares for developmentally delayed adults and their families is “deeply flawed”, says Ontario’s ombudsman, whose four-year investigation revealed “shocking systemic problems” in the province’s treatment of the disabled.

August 24, 2016

24 August 2016

Ontario fails to help people with developmental disabilities: Ombud (The Canadian Press)

TORONTO - Widespread inconsistencies and gaps in Ontario's support network have left many adults with developmental disabilities scrambling for care, at times exposing them to abuse or landing them behind bars, a new report said Wednesday.

August 24, 2016

24 August 2016

Ontario ombudsman calls for systematic overhaul of care for adults with developmental disabilities (CBC News)

Ombudsman's report says 'desperate' families often struggle to negotiate maze of social service agencies.

August 24, 2016

24 August 2016

Province must act immediately to support people with developmental disabilities: Editorial (Toronto Star)

The province should move quickly to implement Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé's recommendations on how to end Ontario's shameful treatment of people with developmental disabilities.

August 24, 2016

24 August 2016

Ontario must fix ‘deeply flawed’ system to help people with developmental disabilities, ombudsman says (Toronto Star)

Paul Dubé said in his report that he found “a fragmented, overly complicated system of service agencies and funding programs, and a baffling lack of flexibility from officials at the top.”

July 27, 2016

27 July 2016

Death of Abdirahman Abdi fuels calls for police training reforms (Global News)

Calls for changes to police training are getting louder after Abdirahman Abdi, a mentally-ill Ottawa man, died in the wake of a confrontation with police this week.

July 27, 2016

27 July 2016

Ontario's ombudsman calls death of Ottawa man after arrest 'tragic' (CBC News)

Paul Dubé released a report on use-of-force nearly four weeks before Abdirahman Abdi's death.

July 20, 2016

20 July 2016

Hamilton’s closed-door review of election-spending complaints broke the rules: Ombudsman (Hamilton Spectator)

Provincial Ombudsman Paul Dubé has ruled Hamilton’s election compliance audit committee wrongly deliberated behind closed doors last year.

July 19, 2016

19 July 2016

Ombudsman slaps Oshawa’s wrist over closed-door meeting (Oshawa This Week)

Session with OPUC should have been held in public.

July 4, 2016

4 July 2016

Focus: New ombudsman on the scene (Law Times)

Paul Dubé is walking in the hallway of his 10th floor Bay Street office when an older man wearing a plaid shirt suddenly approaches him. “Excuse me, sir, are you the ombudsman?” the man eagerly asks. “I have a case here.”

June 29, 2016

29 June 2016

Time to ensure police are trained to talk first (Toronto Sun)

Eight seconds.
 
That’s all the time it took for cops to slam the door of their cruiser and proceed to shoot Michael MacIsaac, says his sister Joanne.

June 29, 2016

29 June 2016

Ombudsman wants police to get better training in de-escalation techniques (The Canadian Press)

TORONTO - Families of people killed by police are "hopeful" the Ontario government will act on an ombudsman's report calling for improved training in de-escalation techniques for officers who encounter people in crisis.

June 29, 2016

29 June 2016

Report after Sammy Yatim’s death slams police training (Toronto Star)

Citing an “urgent need” for improvements to police training, Ontario’s Ombudsman is calling for the province to create a regulation requiring police to deescalate and use communications techniques in all possible conflict situations before resorting to force.

May 27, 2016

27 May 2016

Council to question staff on findings of illegal procedure (Simcoe Reformer)

Council was prepared to discuss the findings of Ontario ombudsman Paul Dube at its regular meeting Tuesday. However, two key players in the episode – CAO Keith Robicheau and clerk Andrew Grozelle – were not in attendance.

May 25, 2016

25 May 2016

Ontario Ombudsman to probe City of Brampton’s business practices (Brampton Guardian)

Ontario’s Ombudsman has launched an inquiry into Brampton’s procurement practices but won't touch a controversial downtown development deal that has mired city hall in controversy since 2011.

May 25, 2016

25 May 2016

Ontario ombudsman tackles Brampton city hall (Toronto Star)

Procurement probe will be the first “systemic” municipal investigation under Paul Dubé’s new powers.

May 12, 2016

12 May 2016

Ban long-term solitary confinement: Editorial (Toronto Star)

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé is right to call for a ban on the long-term solitary confinement of prison inmates.

May 10, 2016

10 May 2016

Ontario ombudsman calls on province to end indefinite segregation in jails (The Canadian Press)

Ontario's ombudsman has urged the provincial government to stop putting inmates in segregation for longer than 15 days.

May 10, 2016

10 May 2016

Ontario's Ombudsman calls for end to indefinite segregation (Ottawa Citizen)

Ontario’s ombudsman is calling on the province to permanently abolish the practice of locking up inmates in solitary confinement for indefinite periods of time.

May 10, 2016

10 May 2016

Mental illness particular concern for inmates in indefinite isolation, says Paul Dubé (London Free Press)

A call by Ontario’s citizen watchdog to stop segregating inmates for longer than 15 days is a step in the right direction, says a London lawyer outspoken about the treatment of people in jails.

May 10, 2016

10 May 2016

Ontario ombudsman calls for end to long-term solitary confinement in jails (Globe and Mail)

In a scathing appraisal of Ontario prison practices, the provincial Ombudsman is pushing for a ban on long-term solitary confinement, a move that would make the province the first jurisdiction in Canada to apply United Nations guidelines to the draconian form of incarceration. Ombudsman Paul Dubé made the recommendations on Tuesday, part of an exhaustive submission to the province’s continuing review of solitary confinement – formally termed “segregation” – in its 27 correctional facilities.

April 2, 2016

2 April 2016

Meet Ontario's new ombudsman (Toronto Sun)

Paul Dubé took the oath of office Friday to become the new Ontario Ombudsman.

April 1, 2016

1 April 2016

A conversation with Paul Dubé, Ontario’s new ombudsman​ (QP Briefing)

Dubé emphasizes his collaborative style and focus on building trust and credibility with public agencies - and also confirms he won't be quite the presence on Twitter that his predecessor was.

April 1, 2016

1 April 2016

‘This is a job I’ve dreamt of’: Ontario’s ombudsman talks Twitter, transparency and his new role (National Post)

Ontario’s newest watchdog wants to soften his office’s bark.

February 19, 2016

19 February 2016

What you need to know about the Ontario Ombudsman’s expanded oversight of municipalities, universities and school boards

On February 5, 2016, the Ontario Bar Association presented a breakfast program titled “What you need to know about the Ontario Ombudsman’s expanded oversight of municipalities, universities and school boards”. Laura Pettigrew, General Counsel at the Ontario Ombudsman, and Barbara Finlay, Acting Ombudsman, each spoke about the Ontario Ombudsman’s expanded jurisdiction.  Acting Deputy Ombudsman Wendy Ray moderated the program.

February 16, 2016

16 February 2016

Paul Dubé to succeed André Marin as next Ontario ombudsman (Toronto Star)

Federal tax watchdog will succeed André Marin as the new full-time Ombudsman of Ontario, it was announced in the legislature on Tuesday.

February 8, 2016

8 February 2016

Former Caledon officer encourages first responders to step out of the shadows and talk about mental health (Caledon Enterprise)

Ten first responders and two members of the military took their lives in the first six weeks of the year.

January 25, 2016

25 January 2016

Ontario ombudsman can now investigate universities (The Dialog)

The office of the Ontario ombudsman received new powers on Jan. 1 allowing it to launch investigations into complaints about universities and municipalities in Ontario.

January 24, 2016

24 January 2016

Watchdog’s purview expands to include university, city hall (The London Free Press)

If you’ve got a beef with Western University or city hall, you’ve got a new go-to place to turn.

January 20, 2016

20 January 2016

Watchdog starts New Year with new powers (Parry Sound North Star)

This year, the New Year will not only ring in resolutions, it will also welcome a bigger watchdog.

January 15, 2016

15 January 2016

How do we help the first responders who endure trauma when helping us? (The Globe and Mail)

Late one night in the summer of 2014, Bill Rusk, a police sergeant in Owen Sound, Ont., was crouched on the roof of a downtown store, watching the window of a second-floor apartment in the building next door. His squad had come to bust up a drug deal, and had been told that a violent man was hiding inside with a sawed-off shotgun.

May 12, 2011

12 May 2011

Ontario relents, starts to fund cancer drug (The Globe and Mail)

Jill Anzarut - a thorn to government, a champion to breast-cancer activists - is to start Herceptin on Friday for a half-centimetre tumour that was once deemed too small to treat.

May 12, 2011

12 May 2011

Ontario joins other provinces in expanding funding for cancer drug Herceptin (Canadian Press)

Ontario is moving to join other provinces in funding the cancer drug Herceptin for small tumours following a public outcry sparked by a breast cancer patient.