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The Ombudsman found that an email sent by the Mayor of London to all of council on January 23, 2025, which included a specific request to members of the Community and Protective Services Committee, did not contravene the open meeting rules in the Municipal Act, 2001.

The Ombudsman found that council for the City of Sarnia did not contravene the open meeting rules in the Municipal Act, 2001 on March 31 and May 26, 2025 when it held closed meetings to receive information regarding an ongoing zoning compliance matter.

The Ombudsman found that the General Committee for the council of the City of Mississauga did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 on October 23, 2024 when it held a closed meeting to receive a verbal update on proposed bike lane legislation.

The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging that council for the Township of Frontenac Islands held an illegal meeting over email in August 2024 to discuss a delegation letter requesting a meeting with the Minister of Health at an upcoming municipal conference. The Ombudsman’s investigation found that the discussion over email contravened the open meeting rules, because a quorum of council participated in the email discussions, and the discussions materially advanced council business or decision-making.

A Francophone man was let go from his position as a volunteer firefighter with a municipality.

A man sought our help in getting money back from his municipality for a nonexistent water line.

A woman who was in hospital sought our help after water service was cut off to her home, where her son, who has autism and medical needs, was receiving at-home care in her absence.

A man called us in distress, saying he would become homeless if he could not immediately pay nearly $25,000 in property tax arrears and fees.

A student from abroad whose attendance at an Ontario university was dependent on his father’s federal work permit needed our help when the extension of his father’s permit was delayed.

A man hoping to return to university needed a college transcript for courses he had taken several decades ago.

A student came to us for help after trying for months to get her out-of-province post-secondary credits recognized by her Ontario college of applied arts and technology.

The Ombudsman investigated a closed meeting held by council for the City of Kitchener on August 14, 2023 to discuss the implementation of a centralized model for operations related to certain arts and entertainment facilities. The Ombudsman found that parts of council’s discussion fit within the exceptions for information supplied in confidence by a third party at section 239(2)(i) of the Municipal Act, 2001; labour relations and employee negotiations at section 239(2)(d) of the Act; and plans and instructions for negotiations at section 239(2)(k) of the Act. As the discussion could not have realistically been parsed, the Ombudsman found that council’s entire discussion fit within those exceptions.

The Ombudsman received complaints alleging that council for the Township of Russell may have held an illegal meeting before a regular council meeting on April 29, 2024 to discuss how to fill the vacant mayor's seat.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the municipal code of conduct and integrity commissioner framework for Ontario municipalities, in connection with legislative amendments that were proposed in Bill 241, the Municipal Accountability Act, 2024.

The Ombudsman reviewed complaints about several meetings held by council for the Township of Russell in 2023 and 2024. The Ombudsman found that in camera discussions about a costing update for a new recreation complex fit the open meeting exception for plans and instructions for negotiations, since the discussions revealed how much the Township was willing to spend on the project.

Investigation into matters relating to the Regional Municipality of Niagara’s hiring of its Chief Administrative Officer, and its administration of his contract

Investigation into the reasonableness and transparency of by-law enforcement and billing practices in the Township of St. Clair and the County of Lambton.

The Ombudsman investigated a complaint alleging that the Township of Wollaston’s Communication Team is a committee of council, and that any meetings it may have held since its inception should have been subject to the open meeting requirements in the Municipal Act, 2001.

The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging council for the Township of The North Shore contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 by holding an informal meeting immediately following a council meeting on March 20, 2024. The complaint also alleged council held informal meetings in the days following. The Ombudsman found that a quorum of council engaged in an informal discussion after a council meeting on March 20, 2024, and also participated in discussions over group text message between March 24 and March 25, 2024. However, although these discussions involved a quorum of council, they were not “meetings” subject to the open meeting rules because members did not materially advance the business or decision-making of council.

The Ombudsman investigated closed meetings held by council for the Town of Cochrane on October 10 and October 16, 2023, where council discussed a proposed plan to encourage local development and growth by selling municipally owned land lots at a nominal fee and with a property tax rebate. The Ombudsman determined that the discussion at both meetings did not fit within the cited open meeting exception for acquisition or disposition of land because the transactions were too speculative, but that they did fit within the exception for plans and instructions for negotiations in the Municipal Act, 2001.