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Services in French at ServiceOntario locations

Media release, "French Language Services Commissioner to investigate in-person service delivery at ServiceOntario" (April 1, 2025) Investigation into services in French at ServiceOntario locations. Announced April 1, 2025. Case update (2024-2025 Annual Report) … Services in French at ServiceOntario …
/en/our-work/investigations/ongoing-investigations/services-french-serviceontario-locations

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

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

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

Signs of the times

We noticed that signs put up by Metrolinx around the construction site of the Scarborough subway extension were in English only. Metrolinx is a government agency and its communications, including signage, are required to be in English and French. Result: We pointed these signs out to Metrolinx …
We noticed that signs put up by Metrolinx around the construction site of the Scarborough subway extension were in English only.
/en/our-work/case-stories/signs-times

Eclipse of the chansons

As part of a promotion of places in Ontario to view the total solar eclipse in April 2024, Destination Ontario posted a playlist of eclipse-themed songs on its website, such as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “I Can See Clearly Now.” A Francophone man complained to us that all of the songs on the playlist …
As part of a promotion of places in Ontario to view the total solar eclipse in April 2024, Destination Ontario posted a playlist of eclipse-themed songs on its website, such as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “I Can See Clearly Now.”
/en/our-work/case-stories/eclipse-chansons

Legal obligation

A Francophone woman complained to us after she went to a provincial courthouse for a family court case in a region that is designated under the French Language Services Act (meaning services in French must be available by law). She said she was unable to obtain services in French at the clerk’s …
A Francophone woman complained to us after she went to a provincial courthouse for a family court case in a region that is designated under the French Language Services Act (meaning services in French must be available by law).
/en/our-work/case-stories/legal-obligation

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

Submission regarding the designation of areas under the French Language Services Act

Submission to the Ministry of Francophone Affairs regarding the designation of areas under the French Language Services Act Carl Bouchard French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario January 2025 Overview The Ministry of Francophone Affairs is seeking input on its plan to amend the list of …
The Ministry of Francophone Affairs is seeking input on its plan to amend the list of areas designated under the French Language Services Act.
/en/our-work/submissions-government/submission-regarding-designation-areas-under-french-language-services-act

Unscientific translations

A Francophone father contacted us after visiting the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto with his family in the summer of 2023. He told us that there were five staff members at the admissions counter, but none of them could speak any French beyond “bonjour.” He asked, in English, if he could be …
A Francophone father contacted us after visiting the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto with his family in the summer of 2023.
/en/our-work/case-stories/unscientific-translations

The screens on the bus say “we speak French”

GO Transit, the public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, is a division of government agency Metrolinx. A Francophone reported to us that the Black History Month messages displayed on the electronic destination signage of GO Transit buses were in English only (as were many …
GO Transit, the public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, is a division of government agency Metrolinx.
/en/our-work/case-stories/screens-bus-say-we-speak-french

The real cost of a “free” translation tool

A Francophone from British Columbia received a ticket from an Ontario municipality requiring him to pay thousands of dollars in fines. Although the notice was bilingual, the website of the Provincial Offences Court was in English only. The Francophone also tried to get telephone service in French …
A Francophone from British Columbia received a ticket from an Ontario municipality requiring him to pay thousands of dollars in fines.
/en/our-work/case-stories/real-cost-free-translation-tool

The future is bilingual

The future Ontario line will be a 15.6-kilometre subway line in Toronto. A Franco-Torontonian who wanted to know how work on the line was coming along complained to us that the social media content on X (@OntarioLine) for this Metrolinx project was in English only. He told us he felt it was …
The future Ontario line will be a 15.6-kilometre subway line in Toronto. A Franco-Torontonian who wanted to know how work on the line was coming along complained to us that the social media content on X (@OntarioLine) for this Metrolinx project was in English only.
/en/our-work/case-stories/future-bilingual

Tailor-made forms

The Child and Family Services Review Board conducts reviews and hearings on a number of matters that affect children, youth and families in Ontario. The Board is one of 13 tribunals that make up Tribunals Ontario. It sent a mediation report in English to a Francophone mother, despite the fact that …
The Child and Family Services Review Board conducts reviews and hearings on a number of matters that affect children, youth and families in Ontario.
/en/our-work/case-stories/tailor-made-forms