MEDIA ADVISORY: Ontario Ombudsman to visit Neskantaga First Nation – September 16-17
Paul Dubé: “We want to observe, listen and help amplify the voices of the community”
(TORONTO – September 15, 2025) Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé will visit Neskantaga First Nation September 16-17 at the invitation of Chief Gary Quisess.
Earlier this year, Chief Quisess issued a public call for the media and political leaders to travel to Neskantaga to witness firsthand the hardships the community faces, including unsafe infrastructure, inadequate health services, and what has become the longest boil-water advisory in Canadian history.
“We are honoured to accept Chief Quisess’s invitation,” said Mr. Dubé. “This visit is an important opportunity to listen directly to residents, hear their stories, and observe the realities they are living with. As part of our Indigenous Services Plan, we are committed to raising awareness of our services, shining a light on the challenges faced by many remote First Nations and to contributing, in our role, to reconciliation by giving voice to their concerns and their calls for respect of their rights.”
The Ombudsman is an independent and impartial officer of the Ontario Legislature who oversees provincial government administration and takes complaints about provincial and municipal services. He will be accompanied by Diana Cooke, Director of Ombudsman Ontario’s Children and Youth Unit.
After the visit, the Ombudsman’s observations will be shared through social media, a news release, the Office’s monthly newsletter and Annual Report.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Maria Chehade, Communications Officer
About Ombudsman Ontario: Established in 1975 to help protect the rights of all Ontarians, the Office of the Ombudsman has handled more than 1 million public complaints about provincial and broader public sector administration and helped improve public services through recommendations for systemic change. Ombudsman Dubé recently launched a process to co-develop an Indigenous Services Plan with Indigenous partners to further Ombudsman Ontario’s commitment to reconciliation and enhance services for Indigenous people in the province.
Read more about the Ombudsman’s Indigenous Services Plan