Issues: Group home; Rights (Good care); Rights (Safety) A 13-year-old in a group home complained that staff were forcing him to talk to them and share his feelings, rather than respecting his privacy. He said they threatened to remove privileges, like making calls to his parents or using an iPad, …
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A 13-year-old in a group home complained that staff were forcing him to talk to them and share his feelings, rather than respecting his privacy.
/en/our-work/case-stories/talk-or-else
Culture change
Issues: Children’s aid society; Black youth; Rights (Identity); Rights (Get help); Rights (Fairness) Black 16-year-old complained that her CAS worker was dismissive of her requests for hair and skin products that met her cultural needs, making her feel like she was being treated differently …
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A Black 16-year-old complained that her CAS worker was dismissive of her requests for hair and skin products that met her cultural needs, making her feel like she was being treated differently because of her race.
/en/our-work/case-stories/culture-change
Cleared up
After a woman told us her drinking water was discoloured and she feared it was unsafe to drink, we contacted her municipality and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which runs its water system. We were told the water was safe, but discoloured because of a new chemical treatment method. The agency said …
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After a woman told us her drinking water was discoloured and she feared it was unsafe to drink, we contacted her municipality and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which runs its water system.
/en/our-work/case-stories/cleared
Information flow
More than 30 people from the same municipality sought our help with concerns about leaking water pipes. They complained that their calls to the municipality were not returned, and it provided no information on its website about what to do when they found a leak, how to have pipes repaired when they …
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More than 30 people from the same municipality sought our help with concerns about leaking water pipes.
/en/our-work/case-stories/information-flow
Bad signs
A man who received a ticket for stopping in a “no stopping” zone complained that only a “no parking” sign was visible from the spot. When we raised the issue with city officials, they confirmed there was a mix of “no stopping” and “no parking” signs in the area. They decided to refund the man’s …
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A man who received a ticket for stopping in a “no stopping” zone complained that only a “no parking” sign was visible from the spot.
/en/our-work/case-stories/bad-signs
Process undermined
Residents who live close to an open-pit mine contacted us in frustration after complaining to their municipality about noise, dust, and emissions for years. Our review revealed that the municipality had not established a clear complaints procedure or communicated how people should raise their …
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Residents who live close to an open-pit mine contacted us in frustration after complaining to their municipality about noise, dust, and emissions for years.
/en/our-work/case-stories/process-undermined
Repairing wrongs
Issues: Children’s aid society; Duty to report; Quality of care; Rights (Get help); Rights (Fairness) A woman sought our help after her two foster children disclosed to her that their former foster parent had been physically and verbally abusive toward them. She had already reported this to the …
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A woman sought our help after her two foster children disclosed to her that their former foster parent had been physically and verbally abusive toward them.
/en/our-work/case-stories/repairing-wrongs
Seeking the right support
Issues: Children’s aid society; Disability; Rights (Get help) After her second suicide attempt, a 15-year-old girl contacted us from the hospital. She said she did not want to return to her family home because she did not feel safe there. She had contacted her local children’s aid society (CAS), …
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After her second suicide attempt, a 15-year-old girl contacted us from the hospital.
/en/our-work/case-stories/seeking-right-support
The right balance
Issues: Group home; Rights (Good care); Rights (Get help) A 16-year-old youth complained to us that staff at his group home threatened to lock the refrigerator after he helped himself to food at night when he was hungry. He had lodged an internal complaint at the home, but still felt his concerns …
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A 16-year-old youth complained to us that staff at his group home threatened to lock the refrigerator after he helped himself to food at night when he was hungry.
/en/our-work/case-stories/right-balance
Keeping watch
Issues: Children’s aid society; Quality of care A woman worried about the health and safety of a young relative complained to us that the local children’s aid society (CAS) had done “nothing” in response to her concerns. Our Children and Youth Unit contacted the CAS, which provided us with …
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A woman worried about the health and safety of a young relative complained to us that the local children’s aid society (CAS) had done “nothing” in response to her concerns.
/en/our-work/case-stories/keeping-watch
Right-ing on the wall
Issues: Group home; Disability; Rights (Get help) A 16-year-old who has a developmental disability and lives in a group home contacted us to raise questions about his rights. We spoke to his caseworker, who told us the young man had been informed about his rights when he first arrived at the home …
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A 16-year-old who has a developmental disability and lives in a group home contacted us to raise questions about his rights.
/en/our-work/case-stories/right-ing-wall
A better way
Issues: Children’s aid society; Police involvement; Rights (Identity) A 13-year-old racialized youth complained to us after her children’s aid society (CAS) called the police to transport her to a new group home – which they did by handcuffing her and placing her in the back of a police vehicle. …
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A 13-year-old racialized youth complained to us after her children’s aid society (CAS) called the police to transport her to a new group home – which they did by handcuffing her and placing her in the back of a police vehicle.
/en/our-work/case-stories/better-way
Family feud
Issues: Group home; Rights (Good care) A 16-year-old youth living in a group home complained to our Office that staff at the home were not allowing him to contact certain members of his family because his mother – his legal guardian – did not want him speaking to them. Our Children and Youth Unit …
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A 16-year-old youth living in a group home complained to our Office that staff at the home were not allowing him to contact certain members of his family because his mother – his legal guardian – did not want him speaking to them.
/en/our-work/case-stories/family-feud
Safe slumber
Issues: Children’s aid society; Rights (Get help) A 16-year-old living in a foster home sought our help when she was invited to spend the night at a friend’s house, but her foster care agency denied her request, citing COVID-19 restrictions. She told us her children’s aid society worker was not …
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A 16-year-old living in a foster home sought our help when she was invited to spend the night at a friend’s house, but her foster care agency denied her request, citing COVID-19 restrictions.
/en/our-work/case-stories/safe-slumber
A cry for help
Issue: Children’s aid society A 15-year-old emailed us that she was being physically and verbally abused by her mother, and had started to self-harm and even attempted suicide as a result. Our Children and Youth Unit connected her to a children’s aid society and the Kids Help Phone crisis line. We …
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A 15-year-old emailed us that she was being physically and verbally abused by her mother, and had started to self-harm and even attempted suicide as a result.
/en/our-work/case-stories/cry-help
Sensitive subjects
We received three complaints about a chaotic meeting of council for the Municipality of West Nipissing in March 2019. A portion of the meeting was closed under the exception for “personal matters” in order to discuss an item on the agenda listed as “Municipal Act/Roles & Responsibilities.” …
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We received three complaints about a chaotic meeting of council for the Municipality of West Nipissing in March 2019.
/en/our-work/case-stories/sensitive-subjects
Out-of-town breakdown
As noted in last year’s Annual Report, we received 77 complaints in February 2019 about a City of Hamilton committee’s decision to meet outside of the city – the highest number of complaints we have ever received in a single closed meeting case. At issue were two meetings by the City Manager …
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As noted in last year’s Annual Report, we received 77 complaints in February 2019 about a City of Hamilton committee’s decision to meet outside of the city – the highest number of complaints we have ever received in a single closed meeting case.
/en/our-work/case-stories/out-town-breakdown
Per-pet-ual licence
A dog owner who went to renew the licences for her pets complained to us when the municipality also charged her to renew the licence of a dog that had died six months earlier. She was told she had missed the timeframe to report the dog’s death and return its tag – a requirement that was not on the …
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A dog owner who went to renew the licences for her pets complained to us when the municipality also charged her to renew the licence of a dog that had died six months earlier.
/en/our-work/case-stories/pet-ual-licence
Fair warning
A man who moved a trailer onto a property while he waited for a permit to build a house on it complained that the municipality had removed the trailer without notice. Our inquiries determined that the municipality had warned him to move the trailer several times before he obtained his building …
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A man who moved a trailer onto a property while he waited for a permit to build a house on it complained that the municipality had removed the trailer without notice.
/en/our-work/case-stories/fair-warning
How much?
A man complained to us that he was charged $123.79 for the installation of a new water meter at his cottage, even though the municipality’s fees by-law listed the fee for water meter replacement as $34.38. He was told he should actually have been charged $112.86 – a fee listed elsewhere in the …
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A man complained to us that he was charged $123.79 for the installation of a new water meter at his cottage, even though the municipality’s fees by-law listed the fee for water meter replacement as $34.38.
