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Adults with developmental disabilities inappropriately housed in hospitals

Media release, "Ombudsman to investigate cases of people with developmental disabilities who are inappropriately housed in hospitals " (March 27, 2023) Investigation into the plight of adults with developmental disabilities who are inappropriately housed in hospital due to a lack of supports and …
/en/our-work/investigations/ongoing-investigations/adults-developmental-disabilities-inappropriately-housed-hospitals

When a tree falls…

A man told us he was camping at a provincial park when a crew that was cutting trees damaged several trailers, including his. He said he wrote to the park superintendent to ask them to pay for the damage, but got no response. Result: We reached out to staff at Ontario Parks, which is part of the …
A man told us he was camping at a provincial park when a crew that was cutting trees damaged several trailers, including his.
/en/our-work/case-stories/when-tree-falls

Keeping the lights on

A mother contacted us in a panic when she received notice that her electricity would be disconnected the next day. She told us this would seriously impact her ability to care for her daughter, who has special needs that require her to have lights on through the night. Result: We stepped in quickly …
A mother contacted us in a panic when she received notice that her electricity would be disconnected the next day.
/en/our-work/case-stories/keeping-lights

Slow build

A man who had purchased a plot of undeveloped land came to us after waiting almost two years for a development permit from the Niagara Escarpment Commission. The Commission’s role is to safeguard the area’s environmental features, and it specifically considers the impact of development on the …
A man who had purchased a plot of undeveloped land came to us after waiting almost two years for a development permit from the Niagara Escarpment Commission.
/en/our-work/case-stories/slow-build

Cost of ownership

A woman contacted us for help in correcting the ownership information for her deceased parents’ house, which had been in the family for close to 50 years but had mistakenly been left in the previous owner’s name at the time they bought it. The error in the land registry documents resulted in the …
A woman contacted us for help in correcting the ownership information for her deceased parents’ house, which had been in the family for close to 50 years but had mistakenly been left in the previous owner’s name at the time they bought it.
/en/our-work/case-stories/cost-ownership

Peace of mine

A resident was concerned about a municipality that was using aggregate (mining waste) from an abandoned mine as part of an infrastructure project and asked us to look into their concerns about this material. They wanted information about the potential environmental harm posed by the use of mining …
A resident was concerned about a municipality that was using aggregate (mining waste) from an abandoned mine as part of an infrastructure project and asked us to look into their concerns about this material.
/en/our-work/case-stories/peace-mine

Service connection

The family of a client of the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) told us they were alarmed to hear from their relative’s cellphone provider that their bills – which the OPGT is supposed to pay on the client’s behalf – had not been paid in several months. The family paid the arrears to …
The family of a client of the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) told us they were alarmed to hear from their relative’s cellphone provider that their bills – which the OPGT is supposed to pay on the client’s behalf – had not been paid in several months.
/en/our-work/case-stories/service-connection

Misrouted rent

A landlord came to us for help after her tenant finally paid her overdue rent directly to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) – and the money was sent to the previous owner of the building instead. Result: After we stepped in, the LTB agreed to pay the landlord the overdue rent while it recouped …
A landlord came to us for help after her tenant finally paid her overdue rent directly to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) – and the money was sent to the previous owner of the building instead.
/en/our-work/case-stories/misrouted-rent

Pending licence

A financial advisor who had paid the fee to renew his licence with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) complained to us after waiting more than two months for a confirmation from them. He told us he was frustrated because without his licence, he could not continue to serve …
A financial advisor who had paid the fee to renew his licence with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) complained to us after waiting more than two months for a confirmation from them.
/en/our-work/case-stories/pending-licence

Language bridge

A Russian-speaking woman came to us for help in dealing with her daughter’s care through Ontario Health at Home. Since this matter falls under the mandate of the Patient Ombudsman, we referred her to them. However, she struggled to navigate the automated phone system and could not reach a live …
A Russian-speaking woman came to us for help in dealing with her daughter’s care through Ontario Health at Home.
/en/our-work/case-stories/language-bridge

Decades later

A man who was born in Portugal but has been a Canadian citizen for more than 50 years sought our help in renewing his health card. He did not have his original citizenship documents, and the Ontario Health Insurance Plan had extended his coverage to allow him time to get replacements. However, he …
A man who was born in Portugal but has been a Canadian citizen for more than 50 years sought our help in renewing his health card.
/en/our-work/case-stories/decades-later

Fiscal fumble

A woman complained to us that the Trillium Drug Program made a mistake in calculating her out-of-pocket costs because they used an income tax return from the wrong year. Result: After speaking with program staff, we confirmed they were required to use information from the previous tax year, but …
A woman complained to us that the Trillium Drug Program made a mistake in calculating her out-of-pocket costs because they used an income tax return from the wrong year.
/en/our-work/case-stories/fiscal-fumble

Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation)

The Ombudsman and staff met with community members and leaders. During this visit, the Ombudsman was told there had been a delay in Hydro One installing the poles to bring electricity to these homes, and there appeared to be a communication breakdown between the community and Hydro One.  RESULT: …

The Ombudsman and staff met with community members and leaders. During this visit, the Ombudsman was told there had been a delay in Hydro One installing the poles to bring electricity to these homes, and there appeared to be a communication breakdown between the community and Hydro One. 

RESULT: The Ombudsman reached out to Hydro One’s Ombudsman, and by working together, they were able to communicate the urgency of the situation to the corporation. The hydro line was installed within the month.

/en/our-work/case-stories/asubpeeschoseewagong-netum-anishinabek-grassy-narrows-first-nation

First Nations HST rebate program

We received complaints from members of First Nations about delayed reimbursements under the Ontario First Nations HST rebate program. The program, run by the Ministry of Finance, provides eligible First Nations people, bands, and band councils with rebates of the 8% provincial portion of the HST …
We received complaints from members of First Nations about delayed reimbursements under the Ontario First Nations HST rebate program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/first-nations-hst-rebate-program

Oversight 911

O N TA R I O O N TA R I O ’ S WAT C H D O G OVERSIGHT 911 Investigation into how the Ministry of Health oversees patient complaints and incident reports about ambulance services OMBUDSMAN REPORT n PAUL DUBÉ, OMBUDSMAN OF ONTARIO n MAY 2021 911 OVERSIGHT 911 DIRECTOR, SPECIAL OMBUDSMAN RESPONSE TEAM …
Investigation into how the Ministry of Health oversees patient complaints and incident reports about ambulance services
/en/our-work/investigations/oversight-911

Missed Messages

O N TA R I O Missed Messages Investigation into unilingual out-of-home government advertising regarding health services between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2023 REPORT OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE SERVICES COMMISSIONER Carl Bouchard July 2024 O N TA R I O FRENCH LANGUAGE SERVICES UNIT www.ombudsman.on.ca …
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.
/en/our-work/investigations/missed-messages

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.
/en/our-work/case-stories/water-clarity

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.
/en/our-work/case-stories/powerful-help

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.
/en/our-work/case-stories/billing-blunder

Service for a smile

A woman whose daughter had to have an emergency root canal procedure – at a cost of $700 – sought our help in obtaining coverage through Healthy Smiles Ontario, a provincial program that covers dental care for eligible children and youth who are 17 and under. The child’s dentist had not enrolled …
A woman whose daughter had to have an emergency root canal procedure – at a cost of $700 – sought our help in obtaining coverage through Healthy Smiles Ontario, a provincial program that covers dental care for eligible children and youth who are 17 and under.
/en/our-work/case-stories/service-smile