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.
Justice delayed
An inmate complained that he had sat in jail for days after becoming eligible for parole because a parole hearing had not been scheduled for him. He had signed a consent form to delay his hearing past his parole eligibility date, but said he had only done so because he was told the Parole Board was …
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An inmate complained that he had sat in jail for days after becoming eligible for parole because a parole hearing had not been scheduled for him.
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.
Best defence
A senior who was charged with threatening police complained that Legal Aid Ontario told him he was no longer eligible for their services after the Crown decided it would not seek to put him in jail if convicted. Our Office determined that although Legal Aid eligibility normally involves cases where …
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A senior who was charged with threatening police complained that Legal Aid Ontario told him he was no longer eligible for their services after the Crown decided it would not seek to put him in jail if convicted.
Sweet relief
An inmate with diabetes who needed to take insulin before his meals complained to our office that correctional staff could only give it to him after meals. The health care manager initially told us the facility was too large for its staff to co-ordinate the man’s insulin with his mealtimes, but …
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An inmate with diabetes who needed to take insulin before his meals complained to our office that correctional staff could only give it to him after meals.
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.
Security risk
An inmate who had been in segregation for nine months – because the facility had concerns about his and others’ safety and security – complained to our office that it was harming his mental health and he needed to see a psychiatrist. After Ombudsman staff made inquiries, the facility took a closer …
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An inmate who had been in segregation for nine months – because the facility had concerns about his and others’ safety and security – complained to our office that it was harming his mental health and he needed to see a psychiatrist.
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.
Motherhood issue
An inmate who was 29 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy contacted us in fear that she would lose her baby due to lack of care. She complained of delays in being referred to prenatal appointments, in being taken to hospital, and in accessing her health record. When our Office contacted the facility’s …
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An inmate who was 29 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy contacted us in fear that she would lose her baby due to lack of care. She complained of delays in being referred to prenatal appointments, in being taken to hospital, and in accessing her health record.
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.
Adding Insult to Injury
https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Resources/Reports/Adding-Insult-to-Injury.aspx?lang=en-CA Ombudsman Report Investigation into the Treatment of Victims by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board “Adding Insult to Injury” André Marin Ombudsman of Ontario February 2007 Table of Contents Executive …
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Investigation into the treatment of victims by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
Oversight Unseen
Ombudsman Report André Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario September 2008 Investigation into the Special Investigations Unit’s operational effectiveness and credibility Investigation into the Special Investigations Unit’s operational effectiveness and credibility …
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Investigation into the Special Investigations Unit's operational effectiveness and credibility.
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.
Oversight Undermined
Ombudsman Report André Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario December 2011 !"#$%&'()&'*"+'"&*+&,$+-'"'%&./+*0+&,$+1&&*."$/+ 2$"$.)34%+'563$5$"&)&'*"+*0+.$7*55$"8)&'*"%+ 7*"7$."'"(+.$0*.5+*0+&,$+96$7')3+!"#$%&'()&'*"%+:"'& DIRECTOR, SPECIAL OMBUDSMAN RESPONSE TEAM (SORT) !"#$%&'()*$+' MANAGER OF …
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Investigation into the Ministry of the Attorney General’s implementation of recommendations concerning reform of the Special Investigations Unit.
