A woman applied for Ontario Works benefits and was told she qualified for $1,850 to cover the first and last month's rent payments for an apartment she was moving into in August. However, a short time later, she was told she only qualified for $825 - the cost of the first month's rent - and …
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A woman applied for Ontario Works benefits and was told she qualified for $1,850 to cover the first and last month's rent payments for an apartment she was moving into in August.
No parking
A woman who was working temporarily in Ontario and renting a house with no private parking complained to us when the municipality denied her a street parking permit because her vehicle had out-of-province plates. We confirmed that this is the municipality's policy, but it is reviewing its permit …
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A woman who was working temporarily in Ontario and renting a house with no private parking complained to us when the municipality denied her a street parking permit because her vehicle had out-of-province plates.
Lack of clear mechanism
We received complaints of alleged violations of the councillor code of conduct in a township. While reviewing the complaints, we determined that the code of conduct wasn't readily available to the public, and there was no clear mechanism for making a complaint. Immediately following our inquiries, …
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We received complaints of alleged violations of the councillor code of conduct in a township.
Fee factor
A homeowner complained that a $1,950 fee he paid to make a severance application was not refunded when his application was denied. Our inquiries with the municipality revealed that the application fee is non-refundable, but this is not communicated to applicants before they pay. The municipality …
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A homeowner complained that a $1,950 fee he paid to make a severance application was not refunded when his application was denied.
Denied assistance
A homeless teenager who could not live with either parent was denied assistance through Ontario Works and was not provided with anything in writing about how to appeal the decision. After Ombudsman staff made inquiries with a supervisor at Ontario Works, the teen’s mother confirmed that he was …
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A homeless teenager who could not live with either parent was denied assistance through Ontario Works and was not provided with anything in writing about how to appeal the decision.
Clarifying our jurisdiction
A town clerk contacted our office after the local council, which was considering establishing a code of conduct, expressed the view that it did not need to appoint an Integrity Commissioner, because any complaints related to the code of conduct could be forwarded to the Ombudsman for review. We …
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A town clerk contacted our office after the local council, which was considering establishing a code of conduct, expressed the view that it did not need to appoint an Integrity Commissioner, because any complaints related to the code of conduct could be forwarded to the Ombudsman for review.
Billing bungle
A man complained after he received a municipal hydro bill of $1,300, when his normal monthly bill was around $29. The company told him his bills had been incorrect for the past two years, but would not provide him evidence of the errors. After Ombudsman staff spoke with the hydro company’s director …
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A man complained after he received a municipal hydro bill of $1,300, when his normal monthly bill was around $29.
Wires crossed
We received complaints from four residents in one building who each received catch-up bills from their municipal hydro company for $2,000-5,000. The company told us it had discovered a wiring error in the building that caused bills to go to the wrong units. A metering company had investigated, and …
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We received complaints from four residents in one building who each received catch-up bills from their municipal hydro company for $2,000-5,000.
Sold out
A man contacted our Office after his municipality closed and sold a road allowance adjacent to his property. His family had used the land to access the river, but they were not notified by the municipality or given the chance to purchase a portion of the land, contrary to municipal policy. The …
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A man contacted our Office after his municipality closed and sold a road allowance adjacent to his property. His family had used the land to access the river, but they were not notified by the municipality or given the chance to purchase a portion of the land, contrary to municipal policy.
Rude awakening
A man complained to his municipality after a member of council called him names in an email. He was not satisfied when the mayor offered to bring him and the councillor together for a private meeting. Ombudsman staff suggested he raise his concerns with the municipal clerk, but this prompted …
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A man complained to his municipality after a member of council called him names in an email. He was not satisfied when the mayor offered to bring him and the councillor together for a private meeting.
Powerful gesture
A man was upset that it took the Ontario Electricity Support Program six months to process his application, even though its website says it should take 6-8 weeks. Our inquiries determined that the delay was actually exacerbated by the man providing an outdated email address on his application; …
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A man was upset that it took the Ontario Electricity Support Program six months to process his application, even though its website says it should take 6-8 weeks.
Building good policies
A man who had a complaint about his municipality’s chief building official contacted our Office because his municipality did not have a code of conduct in place, even though this is required by the Building Code Act . We spoke to the municipality and confirmed that it had taken steps to respond to …
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A man who had a complaint about his municipality’s chief building official contacted our Office because his municipality did not have a code of conduct in place, even though this is required by the Building Code Act.
All wet
After a man complained to us that his municipality had not responded to his letter about flood damage to his basement, municipal staff initially told us they didn’t answer because they deemed the complaint to be without merit. They then sent the man a letter in which they made findings about water …
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After a man complained to us that his municipality had not responded to his letter about flood damage to his basement, municipal staff initially told us they didn’t answer because they deemed the complaint to be without merit.
The ABCs of Education and Training
“The ABCs of Education and Training” Investigation into City of Oshawa Development Services Committee Special Meeting of May 22, 2008 André Marin Ombudsman of Ontario March 23, 2009 https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Resources/Reports/The-ABCs-of-Education-and-Training.aspx?lang=en-CA …
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Investigation into the City of Oshawa, Development Services Committee special meeting of May 22, 2008.
Pirating Our Property
Ombudsman Report “Pirating Our Property” Investigation into the City of Oshawa’s Apparent Failure to Co-operate André Marin Ombudsman of Ontario April 2009 https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Resources/Reports/Pirating-Our-Property.aspx?lang=en-CA Table of Contents Overview …
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Investigation into the City of Oshawa's apparent failure to co-operate.
In the Dark
Ombudsman RepORt André Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario • May 2015 Investigation into the transparency of Hydro One’s billing practices and the timeliness and effectiveness of its process for responding to customer concerns https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Resources/Reports/In-the-Dark.aspx?lang=en-CA Find …
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Investigation into the transparency of Hydro One’s billing practices and the timeliness and effectiveness of its process for responding to customer concerns.
Procuring Progress
Ombudsman Report “Procuring Progress” Investigation into the City of Brampton’s procurement practices, focusing on the administration of its purchasing by-laws, policies and procedures regarding non-competitive procurements Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario March 2017 Table of Contents Executive …
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Investigation into the City of Brampton’s procurement practices, focusing on the administration of its purchasing by-laws, policies and procedures regarding non-competitive procurements.
Counter Encounter
“Counter Encounter” Investigation into a complaint about the Township of Red Rock Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario May 2017 Table of Contents Overview ............................................................................................................... 3 Complaint …
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Investigation into a complaint about the Township of Red Rock.
Submission on Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, 2017
Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, 2017 Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario April 2017 Table of Contents Background: Ombudsman’s …
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On April 11, 2017, Ombudsman Paul Dubé made a presentation to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario's Municipal Legislation Act, 2017.
