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Displaying 21 - 40 of 132

Positive test result

A pregnant woman who had tested positive for an infection contacted us when she received the results from Public Health Ontario and realized that the wrong follow-up test had been done. We made inquiries with staff at the Public Health Laboratory, who determined that the woman’s doctor hadn’t …
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A pregnant woman who had tested positive for an infection contacted us when she received the results from Public Health Ontario and realized that the wrong follow-up test had been done.
/en/our-work/case-stories/positive-test-result

Permanent solution

A man was trying to renew a health card on behalf of his son, who has a disability and does not have a driver’s licence. The only way his card could be renewed was to visit ServiceOntario in person, or have a family doctor fill out a form exempting him from the photo and signature requirement. He …
Body
A man was trying to renew a health card on behalf of his son, who has a disability and does not have a driver’s licence.
/en/our-work/case-stories/permanent-solution

Every vote counts

Shortly before the day of the October 2022 municipal election, several voters in one municipality complained to us that their mail-in ballots arrived too late. Municipal clerks are responsible for local elections, and in this municipality, the clerk confirmed that Canada Post had delivered some …
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Shortly before the day of the October 2022 municipal election, several voters in one municipality complained to us that their mail-in ballots arrived too late.
/en/our-work/case-stories/every-vote-counts

All’s well that ends well

Three residents told us that construction near their homes had caused their wells to dry up. The municipally-owned corporation responsible for water services gave them temporary water tanks, but informed them that the tanks would be removed. The residents felt that their well water remained unsafe. …
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Three residents told us that construction near their homes had caused their wells to dry up.
/en/our-work/case-stories/alls-well-ends-well-0

Home again

A woman reached out to us because her family’s subsidized housing unit was uninhabitable after a fire. She told us that their tenant insurance was going to run out but the unit was not ready to be occupied. Since her tenant support agent could not give them a firm date when they could move back in, …
Body
A woman reached out to us because her family’s subsidized housing unit was uninhabitable after a fire.
/en/our-work/case-stories/home-again

Permit me

A woman complained to us about how her municipality handled her request to convert a shipping container into a garden shed. She said after she chose not to proceed with a building permit application because of the cost, she received a notice from the municipality that the container needed to be …
Body
A woman complained to us about how her municipality handled her request to convert a shipping container into a garden shed.
/en/our-work/case-stories/permit-me

Lessons for the Long Term

O N TA R I O Lessons for the Long Term Investigation into the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s oversight of long-term care homes through inspection and enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic OMBUDSMAN REPORT PAUL DUBÉ, OMBUDSMAN OF ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2023 O N TA R I O 1-800-263-1830 …
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Investigation into the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s oversight of long-term care homes through inspection and enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
/en/our-work/investigations/lessons-long-term

Submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s consultation on strengthening accountability for municipal council members Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario July 2021 Introduction Since January 1, 2016, my Office has had the authority to review complaints about municipalities, including …
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Since January 1, 2016, my Office has had the authority to review complaints about municipalities, including municipal boards and corporations. Between January 1, 2016 and March 31, 2021, we received more than 14,000 complaints about municipalities. Through our review and investigation of complaints, we often identify best practices and suggestions to improve municipal processes and strengthen local governance and accountability. Most municipalities appreciate the information that we provide, and are happy to implement improvements locally.
/en/our-work/submissions-government/submission-ministry-municipal-affairs-and-housing

Tell us more

A man contacted us on behalf of his father, who was immunocompromised and receiving cancer treatments. He had applied to the Exceptional Access Program for funding for a drug necessary for managing the elder man’s conditions – which the EAP had approved for him before. He complained that EAP staff …
Body
A man contacted us on behalf of his father, who was immunocompromised and receiving cancer treatments.
/en/our-work/case-stories/tell-us-more

Deductible decision

A man contacted our Office after trying unsuccessfully to have his Trillium Drug Program deductible increased. He had requested a reassessment, but the amount was still inconsistent with the program guide’s formula. He was also having trouble getting reimbursed for his wife’s kidney transplant …
Body
A man contacted our Office after trying unsuccessfully to have his Trillium Drug Program deductible increased.
/en/our-work/case-stories/deductible-decision

Form fix

We heard from a man who was still waiting for his semi-annual grant for ostomy supplies from the Ministry’s Assistive Devices Program. We spoke with Ministry staff and learned that they were waiting on a form from him. We arranged with staff from his doctor’s office to send the form to the Ministry …
Body
We heard from a man who was still waiting for his semi-annual grant for ostomy supplies from the Ministry’s Assistive Devices Program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/form-fix

Paying the piper

After water rates were increased in a small municipality, we received 48 complaints from local residents who disagreed with the increase. We made inquiries with municipal staff, who explained that council had approved the hike at an open meeting, based on a staff report that detailed significant …
Body
After water rates were increased in a small municipality, we received 48 complaints from local residents who disagreed with the increase.
/en/our-work/case-stories/paying-piper

Triple trouble

A woman complained to us that she had no idea why her water bill had tripled in a few months with no change to her consumption, and the municipal billing department would not help. After we helped identify who she should speak with to escalate her concerns at the municipality, the woman told us …
Body
A woman complained to us that she had no idea why her water bill had tripled in a few months with no change to her consumption, and the municipal billing department would not help.
/en/our-work/case-stories/triple-trouble

Personal reasons

A man seeking a property tax deferment complained to us that council had unfairly rejected his request because there wasn’t time to consider it. We spoke with municipal officials, who clarified that the man’s application had been discussed before it was declined, but the discussion took place in a …
Body
A man seeking a property tax deferment complained to us that council had unfairly rejected his request because there wasn’t time to consider it.
/en/our-work/case-stories/personal-reasons

Culvert conundrum

A homeowner complained to us that her municipality was demanding she pay more than $5,000 in fees for a permit for a culvert that had been built under her driveway years ago. The woman maintained the municipality had installed the culvert, but municipal staff told us they had no record of this. …
Body
A homeowner complained to us that her municipality was demanding she pay more than $5,000 in fees for a permit for a culvert that had been built under her driveway years ago.
/en/our-work/case-stories/culvert-conundrum

Long-term loan

A man with ALS complained that when he moved into a long-term care home in 2017 due to his deteriorating condition, he become ineligible for the ventilator that he had been provided through the province’s Ventilator Equipment Pool program. Our staff confirmed with Ministry of Health and program …
Body
A man with ALS complained that when he moved into a long-term care home in 2017 due to his deteriorating condition, he become ineligible for the ventilator that he had been provided through the province’s Ventilator Equipment Pool program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/long-term-loan

Checked and re-chequed

A woman contacted us after she missed several cheques from the province’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP), which she required to cover the cost of ostomy supplies. She explained that she had changed addresses several times. Our staff contacted ADP officials, who determined that two of the woman’s …
Body
A woman contacted us after she missed several cheques from the province’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP), which she required to cover the cost of ostomy supplies.
/en/our-work/case-stories/checked-and-re-chequed

Information, please

A woman who has several health issues and relies on Ontario Disability Support Program benefits complained to us that her request for coverage of her medications had been denied by the Ontario Drug Benefit program. She relied on food banks to eat so that she could purchase her medications as …
Body
A woman who has several health issues and relies on Ontario Disability Support Program benefits complained to us that her request for coverage of her medications had been denied by the Ontario Drug Benefit program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/information-please

Healthy extension

A woman who had lived in Canada for 76 years sought our help when she attempted to renew her health card and discovered she did not have Canadian citizenship. She feared this would affect her health coverage, as she was told she would have to apply for a passport in her birth country and then apply …
Body
A woman who had lived in Canada for 76 years sought our help when she attempted to renew her health card and discovered she did not have Canadian citizenship.
/en/our-work/case-stories/healthy-extension

Cleared up

After a woman told us her drinking water was discoloured and she feared it was unsafe to drink, we contacted her municipality and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which runs its water system. We were told the water was safe, but discoloured because of a new chemical treatment method. The agency said …
Body
After a woman told us her drinking water was discoloured and she feared it was unsafe to drink, we contacted her municipality and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which runs its water system.
/en/our-work/case-stories/cleared

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The Ontario Ombudsman’s work takes place on traditional Indigenous territories across the province we now call Ontario, and we are thankful to be able to work and live on this land. 

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info@ombudsman.on.ca

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