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2008

 



  • Arresting Development2008 - Ministry of the Attorney General - Arresting Development

    A 60-year-old man called the Ombudsman’s Office from the Toronto Jail, insisting he had been arrested by mistake. He said he had been ill and missed his court date for driving with a suspended license, for which he was convicted in absentia and given a $6,000 fine.

  • A Matter of Degree2008 - Ministry of Colleges and Universities - A Matter of Degree

    A learning-disabled man who was enrolled in college as a mature student had been taking courses since 1999, repeating several of them until he successfully passed. When he finally completed enough courses to apply for his diploma, he was shocked to discover the college had a policy that courses must be completed within a four-year time limit.

  • Change of Address2008 - Ministry of the Attorney General - Change of Address

    Ms. L’s 83-year-old mother suffered from dementia and had recently moved into a long-term care facility. Her financial affairs were being handled by the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT).

  • Fostering Confusion2008 - Ministry of Community and Social Services - Fostering Confusion

    Ms. C called the Ombudsman’s Office at her wit’s end, after a decade-long battle with a children’s aid society (CAS). In 1992, she became a foster parent for two brothers, both with special needs, aged 1 and 2.

  • Help at Last2008 - Ministry of Community and Social Services - Help at Last

    A woman in a tragic situation contacted our Office for help. She was on welfare, she had two severely disabled children and her husband was dying of cancer.

  • The writ that time forgot2008 - Family Responsibility Office - The writ that time forgot

    In September of 2000, Mr. P paid $1,600 that he owed in child support. But unbeknownst to him, in July of that year, the FRO had filed a Writ of Execution against him to secure the debt.

  • Gotcha!2008 - Family Responsibility Office - Gotcha!

    A mother of two young children whose ex-husband had defaulted on his support payments couldn’t believe he was getting away with it. A final default order had been issued in September, threatening him with jail, but now it was December and nothing had happened.

  • Better Late than Never2008 - Ontario Disability Support Office - Better Late than Never

    A son complained that it took two years for his father to be transferred from the Ontario Works Program to the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Yet once the transfer was finally made, ODSP would not grant the man retroactive benefits. What’s more, he was told he could not appeal because he had missed ODSP’s 15-day deadline for requesting an internal review.

  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?2008 - Adoption Disclosure and Register - O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    In the hopes of making contact with her brother who was given up for adoption at birth, a woman listed her personal information with the province’s Adoption Disclosure Register (ADR). When the search turned up nothing, she suspected it had not been done properly.

  • Your Call is Important to Us2008 - Ministry of Government and Consumer Services - Your Call is Important to Us

    A mother who telephoned the Office of the Registrar General (ORG) about a birth certificate for her son was put on hold – for 3 hours and 15 minutes – even though the pre-recorded message on the line said the wait would be 20-30 minutes. While she was on hold, she used her cell phone to call the Ombudsman’s office.

  • Playing Your Cards Right2008 - Ministry of Government Services - Playing Your Cards Right

    A run of bad luck prompted a man to call the Ombudsman’s Office: He had lost his wallet, and was waiting for a replacement birth certificate to arrive from the Office of the Registrar General (ORG). Then he had an accident and required surgery – but his health card had expired and the Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP) told him he couldn’t get a new one without a birth certificate.

  • A Costly Guess2008 - Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - A Costly Guess

    A patient diagnosed with prostate cancer was turned down by the Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP) for a surgical procedure that he and his physician believed to be available only in the United States. After spending $40,000 on the U.S. surgery, however, the man learned that it had in fact been available in Ontario, but OHIP officials had failed to inform him of this.

  • A 'Private' Matter2008 - Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - A 'Private' Matter

    After a decade of unsuccessful treatments and pain, an Ontario orthopedic surgeon recommended Mr. J have ankle replacement surgery. Since the local wait time was three years, the man was granted $35,000 in out-of-country funding to have the procedure performed in the U.S. – but one month before the scheduled operation, he was turned away because the implants he needed were no longer approved by U.S. authorities.

  • The Right to Know2008 - Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - The Right to Know

    Mr. D’s family was concerned that the long-term care home he was living in was not meeting the standards of care set out by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Ministry investigated the family’s concerns and advised them it had required the facility to fix things – but it would not give further details.

  • Fast-Acting Relief2008 - Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - Fast-Acting Relief

    A man who suffers from a rare and debilitating disorder that causes more than 50 severe headaches a day was doing well on a combination of drugs prescribed by his neurologist – one of which required special approval by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for coverage.

  • Happy Customer2008 - Trillium Drug Program - Happy Customer

    A university student tried for two years to obtain reimbursement of thousands of dollars in medication costs from the Trillium Drug Program. He had sent in all his information and receipts in 2005, but when he called in 2006 to ask why he had not heard back, he was told Trillium had moved and his receipts had apparently been lost.

  • GO-ing to the Dogs2008 - Ministry of Transportation - GO-ing to the Dogs

    A visually impaired man who relies on a guide dog was denied access to a GO Transit bus on two occasions because the bus driver was allergic to dogs. Despite his complaints to GO, the man and his guide dog were again denied access by the same allergic driver.

  • In the Public Eye2008 - Administrative Tribunals - In the Public Eye

    Mr. G complained that the Ontario Labour Relations Board had posted its decision in his case on its website for all to see – without informing him. Ombudsman staff discovered that he was not alone – applicants and respondents before the Board were not generally notified that the decisions in their cases were accessible by the public through its website and other sources.

  • Money in the Kitty2008 - Administrative Tribunals - Money in the Kitty

    The owner of a missing cat was relieved to find it at the local animal shelter. But before he could take the cat home, he had to pay for the food, care and treatment that had been provided. He was also ordered by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) to continue the veterinary care the cat had been receiving while at the shelter. Believing some of the veterinary expenses to be unnecessary, the man asked the Animal Care Review Board to revoke the order and have him reimbursed.