Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé's 10 years of service

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé's 10 years of service

Remarks
Barbara Finlay, Acting Ombudsman 
and
Carl Bouchard, French Language Services Commissioner
Queen’s Park
April 23, 2026

Barbara Finlay:

Hello everyone, and good evening and boozhoo.

On behalf of all of us at Ombudsman Ontario, it is our pleasure to welcome our distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends here tonight. Thank you for joining us as we celebrate Paul Dubé’s decade of service, leadership, and dedication to fairness and accountability in Ontario’s public sector.

Paul really needs no introduction – but please indulge us for as we take a few moments to recognize the important work he has done for over the past decade – and what it means, not just to all of us here, but to all Ontarians.

I want to start by inviting Carl Bouchard, the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, to say a few words.

Carl Bouchard:

Thank you, Barb – and good evening, everyone.

Wow, it’s truly a pleasure for me to be here with you to highlight Paul Dubé’s monumental contribution to Ontario.

I have been Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner for more than three years now.

When Paul Dubé appointed me, he asked me to be accessible, to vigorously defend language rights, and to support him not only in monitoring the implementation of the French Language Services Act, but also in better serving Ontario’s Francophones through all the work we do at the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman.

In the last seven years, we have handled nearly 2,300 cases under the French Language Services Act. Under your leadership, we have tabled 6 annual reports specifically on French language services, and completed three investigations – the latest of which, on frontline services at ServiceOntario, will be published very soon. 

We have reached thousands of French speaking Ontarians and we have visited them in their own communities across Ontario. We have established productive and appropriate relationships with the public service, elected officials, and our colleagues across Canada and around the world.

Our work has led to tangible improvements in French language services, such as: 

• Improved communications in French across the province
• The active offer of in-person services in French
• Standardized yearly training for all ministries and agencies front-line employees on language rights and obligations
• Bilingual Amber Alerts and a bilingual Fire Code, for the first time
• Accents on identification cards
• And much more.

And our work has also encouraged Ontario’s Francophones to contact us not only about issues related to language rights, but also so that we can help them – in French – in several other areas of their lives.

Over the past 3 years, in addition to the hundreds of people we helped exercise their right to services in French, we also helped more than 1,200 people in French with a wide range of other issues, from social services to education to children in foster care.

Paul, thank you for giving me the privilege of helping to protect language rights in Ontario and of contributing positively to strengthening the role of French - my language – at home, here in Ontario.

Thank you, Paul, for your dedication and vision. For making French language services a priority for the entire Office of the Ombudsman. This now forms part of the legacy of your mandate as Ontario’s Ombudsman.

And thank you to Acting Ombudsman Barbara Finlay for your continued commitment towards French language services.

Barb, I now turn the floor back over to you.

Barbara Finlay:

Thank you, Carl.

Thank you for that eloquent summary of how Paul’s work has truly had an impact for Franco-Ontarians. 

As you point out, Paul’s legacy is marked by real, lasting impact. 

Under your leadership, Paul, the Ombudsman’s Office has grown in reach, relevance, and public trust, while remaining firmly grounded in its independence and impartiality. 

You have helped build it into the strong, effective, internationally recognized Office that it is today. 

And, most importantly, you have built a dedicated and committed team that makes a real difference in the lives of Ontarians. 

You helped make Ombudsman Ontario the strong, effective, and internationally recognized office it is today – and, above all, you built a dedicated and committed team that makes a tangible difference in the lives of Ontarians every day.

In your two terms as Ombudsman:

• You have strengthened Ombudsman Ontario’s oversight of municipalities, promoting transparency, good governance, accountability, and effective administration.
• You’ve ensured enhanced protections for children and youth by empowering the Children and Youth Unit and issuing systemic recommendations to improve services for young people in care
• You built a strong and dedicated French Language Services Unit which, under the leadership of Commissioner Bouchard, is delivering concrete results and advancing the right of Ontario’s Francophones to receive equivalent government services in French.
• You have set a clear path toward reconciliation through the co-creation of a new Indigenous Services Plan grounded in learning, trust, and sustained engagement, supporting meaningful assistance to Indigenous peoples and tangible improvements that recognize the ongoing impacts of colonization.

It is impossible in these brief words to truly the capture the extent of the impact that you have had on the lives of Ontarians. But we can confidently say that under your leadership, we have been able to help more people with more issues than at any time in our 50-year history.

We see this in the sheer volume of cases we receive – which reached a new record in your final year. 

We see it in the heartfelt thanks that people express to our staff when we help them resolve a problem. 

We see it in the strong and productive relationships you built throughout the public sector.

And we saw it here at the legislative assembly, during our 50th anniversary celebrations, where your contributions were recognized by the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker, and representatives of all parties in the House. 

I think I can speak for all of our leadership team, who are here tonight, in saying that is has been a true pleasure to work with you, and a privilege to continue the remarkable work you have accomplished these past 10 years. 

We thank you and we wish you all the best for the future. 

Now, I would like to turn the microphone over to our guest of honour – Paul?

[Paul Dubé speaks]

Barbara Finlay:

Thank you again, Paul. As usual, you’ve given us food for thought as we continue to build on your legacy.

Paul, we thank you for everything you’ve done for the people of Ontario, and wish you the very best.