Ombudsman Paul Dubé launched the Good Governance Awards in early 2025 as part of Ombudsman Ontario’s 50th anniversary activities.
These awards recognize public sector bodies that have demonstrated exemplary administrative practices.
Award recipients are selected by the Ombudsman from nominations made by Ombudsman Ontario staff, based on their interactions with public sector bodies in the course of their work in investigating and resolving complaints from the public.
Awards can be given to organizations in three areas of the Ombudsman’s mandate: Provincial government bodies, municipalities, and broader public sector bodies such as school boards, universities, children’s aid societies, and others.
“These awards recognize good administration, fair treatment, and the adoption of best practices in public sector bodies,” Ombudsman Dubé said.
“They reflect tangible actions that align with Ombudsman Ontario’s vision of a public sector that serves Ontarians in a way that is fair, accountable, transparent and respectful of their rights, and have resulted in exemplary administration.”
Award criteria
The actions, improvements, and best practices eligible for recognition include, but are not limited to, people-oriented service delivery, French language services, communications, diversity and inclusion, excellence and innovation, open administration, improvements in fairness, and promotion or recognition of rights.
Nominations are made by Ombudsman Ontario staff based on knowledge gathered through their direct interactions with provincial government and broader public sector organizations, including case work, resolutions, consultations, submissions, or Ombudsman investigations. Nominees may include, for example, agencies or bodies that have improved services, responded to public needs in a significant way, implemented best practices or Ombudsman recommendations, enhanced democracy, recognized and protected rights, or eliminated barriers to promote access to justice or services.
Nominations must align with Ombudsman Ontario’s vision: “A public sector that serves citizens in a way that is fair, accountable, transparent and respectful of their rights.” They reflect tangible actions taken by organizations that have resulted in exemplary administration.
Award recipients
Ontario Provincial Police – February 2025
The first Good Governance award recipient was the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), for its efforts to enhance its provision of French language services. The Ombudsman chose to recognize the OPP because it fixed longstanding technical problems with issuing AMBER Alerts simultaneously in English and French, and because of its exemplary efforts to provide an "active offer" of service in French, as required under the French Language Services Act.
These improvements were noted by French Language Services Commissioner Carl Bouchard in his 2023-2024 Annual report.
Read more about the award recipient
City of Hamilton – August 2025
The City of Hamilton was awarded the Ombudsman’s first Good Governance Award for a municipality at the annual conference for the Association of Ontario Municipalities in August 2025.
The City of Hamilton was recognized for council’s decision to stop charging residents a $100 fee to file complaints to the city’s Integrity Commissioner. Ombudsman Dubé noted that he has encouraged all municipalities to remove such fees. “There should be no fee or other barrier to making a complaint, which is every resident’s right. It’s an important part of any democracy, especially at the local level,” he said.
Read more about the award recipient