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Dropped call

Ontario Northland, a government agency, is responsible for providing transportation services in Northern Ontario. A Francophone who wanted information from Ontario Northland called the agency’s toll-free line to book bus tickets, and felt frustrated by the experience. Even though the Francophone …
Ontario Northland, a government agency, is responsible for providing transportation services in Northern Ontario.

Daycare designations – Not child’s play

In February 2024, we learned via the news media of possible changes happening at Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, a Francophone daycare centre in Toronto that appears in Ontario Regulation 398/93 as a government agency designated under the French Language Services Act . One of the centre’s locations was …
In February 2024, we learned via the news media of possible changes happening at Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, a Francophone daycare centre in Toronto that appears in Ontario Regulation 398/93 as a government agency designated under the French Language Services Act.

Cracking the code

To prepare for a virtual hearing where he was representing himself without the help of legal counsel, a Francophone man tried to access a secure portal on the Ministry of the Attorney General’s website. He complained to us that the website was available in English only. RESULT: We brought this …
To prepare for a virtual hearing where he was representing himself without the help of legal counsel, a Francophone man tried to access a secure portal on the Ministry of the Attorney General’s website.

Comprehensive training

An employee of a Francophone non-profit organization in eastern Ontario was responsible for organizing French language training for members of the employer’s joint health and safety committee. Even though this training is mandatory under the Occupational Health and Safety Act , she had difficulty …
An employee of a Francophone non-profit organization in eastern Ontario was responsible for organizing French language training for members of the employer’s joint health and safety committee.

Bilingualism not on their radar

A Francophone received an automated speed enforcement camera ticket in the mail from their municipality. The document was bilingual and directed the reader to the municipality’s website to pay the ticket. However, the website was entirely in English. RESULT: The municipality, like others across …
A Francophone received an automated speed enforcement camera ticket in the mail from their municipality.

Bad experience, better service

A Francophone woman contacted us to share an experience she found particularly distressing. She had visited a ServiceOntario location near her home in the greater Toronto area to renew her Photo Card. While in line, she asked for service in French from the receptionist, who responded in English. …
A Francophone woman contacted us to share an experience she found particularly distressing.

Automated errors

A Francophone with more than a decade of experience with a professional association in the education field contacted us after he noticed some errors on the French version of the association’s website. He reported that the terminology was wrong for several professional titles. He also noticed some …
A Francophone with more than a decade of experience with a professional association in the education field contacted us after he noticed some errors on the French version of the association’s website.

An historic moment

During a visit, an Ottawa Francophone noticed that the name of the Upper Canada Village tourist site in Eastern Ontario was in English only. This attraction is managed by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, a government agency. RESULT: While this complaint was being reviewed, the unilingual “Upper …
During a visit, an Ottawa Francophone noticed that the name of the Upper Canada Village tourist site in Eastern Ontario was in English only.

Active offer at the Legislative Assembly

During a visit to the Legislative Assembly, we noticed that the security staff were welcoming visitors in English only, and the ID cards they gave to visitors were also in English only. However, Measure 1 of Ontario Regulation 544/22 regarding the “active offer” of services in French stipulates …
During a visit to the Legislative Assembly, we noticed that the security staff were welcoming visitors in English only, and the ID cards they gave to visitors were also in English only.

A disappointing entrance

When visiting the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto with his family, a Francophone noticed that the touchscreen ticket vending machines at the entrance were only available in English. He subsequently contacted us to make a complaint. The Royal Ontario Museum is an agency of the Government of Ontario. …
When visiting the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto with his family, a Francophone noticed that the touchscreen ticket vending machines at the entrance were only available in English.

2023-2024 Annual Report of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario

Annual Report of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario O F F I C E O F T H E O M B U D S M A N O F O N T A R I O O N TA R I O ’ S WATC H D O G • C H I E N D E G A R D E D E L’ O N TA R I O 2023--- 2024 Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario We are dedicated to being an effective agent of …
Commissioner's Message - Five years of contributions to Ontario’s vibrant Francophone community: I am pleased to present the 2023-2024 Annual Report of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario. May 1, 2024, marked five years to the day since the Ontario Ombudsman was entrusted with monitoring the administration of the French Language Services Act.

Missed Messages

O N T A R I O REPORT OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE SERVICES COMMISSIONER Carl Bouchard July 2024 Missed Messages Investigation into unilingual out-of-home government advertising regarding health services between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2023 O N T A R I O Missed Messages DIRECTOR, FRENCH LANGUAGE …
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontarians turned to the provincial government for important information on protecting their health and that of their families and communities.

Water clarity

A landlord complained to us that his municipality had put his tenant’s unpaid water and wastewater charges on his property tax bill, without notifying him in advance. He told us he was frustrated because he could not obtain detailed information about the water account – which was in the tenant’s …
A landlord complained to us that his municipality had put his tenant’s unpaid water and wastewater charges on his property tax bill, without notifying him in advance.

Powerful help

A woman whose medical condition makes her reliant on an electric wheelchair, bed and lift was facing having her hydro disconnected because of an outstanding bill of $15,000. Given her vulnerable situation, we prioritized her case, working closely with the hydro company. RESULT: The company arranged …
A woman whose medical condition makes her reliant on an electric wheelchair, bed and lift was facing having her hydro disconnected because of an outstanding bill of $15,000.

Billing blunder

A low-income senior complained that her utility provider had been incorrectly applying her Ontario Electricity Support Program credit to her water bill for more than five years. Because of this error, the woman was being asked to repay approximately $1,800. RESULT: We inquired with the utility …
A low-income senior complained that her utility provider had been incorrectly applying her Ontario Electricity Support Program credit to her water bill for more than five years.

Telephone tag

A Francophone in Eastern Ontario reached out to tell us about her experience as a witness to a situation while camping. She had wanted the police to intervene because it appeared as if a few individuals were harassing some senior citizens, so she contacted the local OPP detachment and 911. She told …
A Francophone in Eastern Ontario reached out to tell us about her experience as a witness to a situation while camping.

Understanding the bill

A Francophone woman who was in a car crash in the Ottawa region received a bill from the Ministry of Transportation’s Highway Incident Claims Unit. She called and asked to speak to a bilingual employee, but was unable to receive services in French. In response to our inquiry, the Unit told us that …
A Francophone woman who was in a car crash in the Ottawa region received a bill from the Ministry of Transportation’s Highway Incident Claims Unit.

Continuity at work

While at work, a Francophone man noticed that the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) had published a notice on its website in English only about a proceeding. The OLRB confirmed to us that the missing French notice was an error. They said there had been a delay in posting the French version, as …
While at work, a Francophone man noticed that the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) had published a notice on its website in English only about a proceeding.

A true active offer

A man went to a ServiceOntario branch in central west Toronto to get an accent added to his first name on his health card. He asked for service in French, but the branch told him that no bilingual agents were available at the moment. He also noticed that several posters were in English only. The …
A man went to a ServiceOntario branch in central west Toronto to get an accent added to his first name on his health card.

Unavailable in French

A Francophone woman received a construction notice in English only from Metrolinx, which had been mailed to tenants of a residential building in Toronto. Under the English text it said “ disponible en français ” (“available in French”). The notice was about trees in the woman’s neighbourhood that …
A Francophone woman received a construction notice in English only from Metrolinx, which had been mailed to tenants of a residential building in Toronto.