An Indigenous inmate told us he had not been able to smudge regularly at his facility, and he wasn’t allowed traditional medicines such as cedar, sage, sweetgrass and tobacco. RESULT: After we intervened, he met with a Native Inmate Liaison Officer and was provided with smudge spray, sage medicine, …
Body
An Indigenous inmate told us he had not been able to smudge regularly at his facility, and he wasn’t allowed traditional medicines such as cedar, sage, sweetgrass and tobacco.
Indigenous healing lodge
An Indigenous inmate complained of repeated delays in response to her requests to see a social worker, so she could apply to an Indigenous healing lodge. RESULT: We spoke with facility officials, who said staffing shortages had resulted in delays. We kept in touch with the inmate, who confirmed she …
Body
An Indigenous inmate complained of repeated delays in response to her requests to see a social worker, so she could apply to an Indigenous healing lodge.
First Nations birth certificates
We helped a First Nations community experiencing administrative barriers to obtaining birth certificates, which are generally required for people to access government services and programs. We were told that these barriers included an online registration process that was sometimes difficult to …
Body
We helped a First Nations community experiencing administrative barriers to obtaining birth certificates, which are generally required for people to access government services and programs.
Married name mishap
A bride whose name was misspelled on her marriage certificate sought our help after waiting in vain for ServiceOntario to send her a form to request a correction. We discovered that the original handwritten marriage certificate had the correct spelling, but her name had been incorrectly typed into …
Body
A bride whose name was misspelled on her marriage certificate sought our help after waiting in vain for ServiceOntario to send her a form to request a correction.
At long last
We heard from a man who was waiting for a new long-form birth certificate for his son. He had been told to send the Registrar General some information that was missing from his initial application, but after he did so, he got no confirmation that it arrived. When we checked with Registrar General …
Body
We heard from a man who was waiting for a new long-form birth certificate for his son.
Writing wrongs
A man came to us for help when a problem with his birth certificate prevented him from applying for federal employment insurance (EI). He was told there were inconsistencies with his parents’ names on his documents – but he couldn’t get further details from ServiceOntario. RESULT: Our inquiries …
Body
A man came to us for help when a problem with his birth certificate prevented him from applying for federal employment insurance (EI).
Helpful information
An international student at a college of applied arts and technology requested a tuition refund when he decided to leave his program and return home to India. The college told him he had missed its deadline to withdraw and receive a refund. He asked our Office for help, saying the financial …
Body
An international student at a college of applied arts and technology requested a tuition refund when he decided to leave his program and return home to India.
Fair trade
A student sought our help after his college told him he would have to retake a trade course he had already effectively completed, which would delay his graduation and the full-time employment he had arranged. His college had given him under 48 hours to accept an opportunity to complete additional …
Body
A student sought our help after his college told him he would have to retake a trade course he had already effectively completed, which would delay his graduation and the full-time employment he had arranged.
Course correction
A group of 50 students at a university reached out to our Office for help after they all failed the same course. The students, most of whom were international students, raised concerns about the instruction, grades and feedback they received from the university, and the financial consequences of …
Body
A group of 50 students at a university reached out to our Office for help after they all failed the same course.
Report as required
We received complaints from two inmates at the same facility, alleging they had been sexually assaulted. One inmate complained that they were sexually assaulted by another inmate, and the other complained that they were sexually assaulted by staff. When we inquired with facility staff, we found …
Body
We received complaints from two inmates at the same facility, alleging they had been sexually assaulted.
Privacy protections
We received complaints from a group of 10 inmates, all women, that they were strip searched by correctional officers in their unit, in view of one another. We flagged this case to senior staff at the facility. RESULT: After our intervention, the facility purchased privacy screens to prevent similar …
Body
We received complaints from a group of 10 inmates, all women, that they were strip searched by correctional officers in their unit, in view of one another.
Mistaken identity
A transgender inmate contacted our Office after she was involved in an altercation with correctional officers. When we made inquiries, we learned that the facility’s computer system had not been updated with the correct information regarding the inmate’s gender identity, even though she had …
Body
A transgender inmate contacted our Office after she was involved in an altercation with correctional officers.
Submission to the Ministry of the Solicitor General’s consultation regarding training for peace officers and use of force by police services
Submission to the Ministry of the Solicitor General’s consultation regarding training for peace officers and use of force by police services Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario October 2023 1 Submission to the Ministry of the Solicitor General regarding training and use of force October 2023 Overview …
Body
The Ministry of the Solicitor General has requested public and stakeholder input on various proposed regulations made under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019.
What’s in a name?
A woman who immigrated to Canada as a child sought our help in changing her name on official documents. The Office of the Registrar General had raised questions because the name on her birth certificate and certificate of landing in Canada differed from that on later documents, when her mother …
Body
A woman who immigrated to Canada as a child sought our help in changing her name on official documents.
Copy that
A woman applied for a replacement birth certificate for her adult son, who has a disability, but her request was cancelled because her ex-husband had also applied for a birth certificate for him (ServiceOntario does not permit individuals to have two birth certificates). She then tried to apply for …
Body
A woman applied for a replacement birth certificate for her adult son, who has a disability, but her request was cancelled because her ex-husband had also applied for a birth certificate for him (ServiceOntario does not permit individuals to have two birth certificates).
Birth displace
A woman who was born in Ontario but living in Quebec applied for a name change after discovering that her birth registration listed the wrong name. She was rejected in both provinces – because she didn’t currently live in Ontario, and because her birth certificate wasn’t issued in Quebec. Officials …
Body
A woman who was born in Ontario but living in Quebec applied for a name change after discovering that her birth registration listed the wrong name.
Time to reconsider
A college student in an online learning program sought our help after he lost access to one of his courses. He complained that there wasn’t sufficient warning that there was a time limit to complete the course. The college pointed to its fine print, which explained the time limit, and told the …
Body
A college student in an online learning program sought our help after he lost access to one of his courses.
Added grief
A woman whose common-law spouse had died while they were living in a homeless shelter complained to us that the Chief Coroner’s Office had buried him even though she had requested to claim the body. When we spoke to the Coroner’s Office, we were told that the woman hadn’t taken the appropriate …
Body
A woman whose common-law spouse had died while they were living in a homeless shelter complained to us that the Chief Coroner’s Office had buried him even though she had requested to claim the body.
Issues overlooked
An inmate told us a correctional officer threw him to the ground and started punching and kneeing him – leaving the inmate with swollen arms and a broken hand. We confirmed that the inmate had received medical treatment, including medication and multiple x-rays. However, we discovered that although …
Body
An inmate told us a correctional officer threw him to the ground and started punching and kneeing him – leaving the inmate with swollen arms and a broken hand.
Dangerously close
An inmate sought our help because he was housed on the same range with another inmate who was facing charges for stabbing him – and, he told us, was now extorting him for access to the canteen, food and phone calls. We alerted senior staff at the facility, and the two inmates were separated shortly …
Body
An inmate sought our help because he was housed on the same range with another inmate who was facing charges for stabbing him – and, he told us, was now extorting him for access to the canteen, food and phone calls.
