Search

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 man told us he was camping at a provincial park when a crew that was cutting trees damaged several trailers, including his.

A mother contacted us in a panic when she received notice that her electricity would be disconnected the next day.

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.

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.

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.

The Ombudsman investigated a closed meeting held by council for the Town of Cochrane on February 13, 2024 about the resignation of its integrity commissioner. The Ombudsman found that council’s discussion about the integrity commissioner’s role with the municipality fit within the open meeting exception for personal matters about an identifiable individual in the Municipal Act, 2001. However, the Ombudsman also found that council’s subsequent closed session discussion about the process it would follow to replace the integrity commissioner did not fit within any open meeting exceptions in the Act, could have been parsed from the first part of the discussion, and should have been discussed in open session.

The Ombudsman reviewed complaints about a closed special meeting of council for Norfolk County on January 9, 2024, as well as closed meetings held by council-in-committee on February 14, 2023, November 15, 2023, and January 16, 2024. The Ombudsman found that at its January 9, 2024 meeting, council did not provide sufficient detail in its resolution to proceed in camera and discussed a matter in camera that did not fit within the open meeting exception cited in its resolution. The Ombudsman also found that council-in-committee did not contravene the Act during its February 14, 2023 closed meeting, but did contravene the Act during its meetings on November 15, 2023 and January 16, 2024 by discussing some issues in camera that did not come within any of the exceptions to the open meeting rules.