A man contacted us in frustration after his application to have his issue heard by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) was dismissed. The reason given was that he hadn’t filed a response to them as requested. He had indeed sent the response – and had email evidence to prove it – but had …
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A man contacted us in frustration after his application to have his issue heard by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) was dismissed.
/en/our-work/case-stories/email-retrieved
Supplemental care
An inmate with HIV complained that he hadn’t been receiving testosterone and other supplements he required to prevent muscle deterioration. He told us he needed to see a specialist, and that health care staff at his facility weren’t responding to calls from his HIV support worker. After our staff …
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An inmate with HIV complained that he hadn’t been receiving testosterone and other supplements he required to prevent muscle deterioration.
/en/our-work/case-stories/supplemental-care
The right to know
After an inmate complained to us that he was pushed to the ground and attacked by several correctional officers, we intervened to verify that a local investigation had been conducted. We discovered that the investigation found that excessive force had been used against the inmate – but that …
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After an inmate complained to us that he was pushed to the ground and attacked by several correctional officers, we intervened to verify that a local investigation had been conducted.
/en/our-work/case-stories/right-know
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 …
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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
Information flow
More than 30 people from the same municipality sought our help with concerns about leaking water pipes. They complained that their calls to the municipality were not returned, and it provided no information on its website about what to do when they found a leak, how to have pipes repaired when they …
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More than 30 people from the same municipality sought our help with concerns about leaking water pipes.
/en/our-work/case-stories/information-flow
Bad signs
A man who received a ticket for stopping in a “no stopping” zone complained that only a “no parking” sign was visible from the spot. When we raised the issue with city officials, they confirmed there was a mix of “no stopping” and “no parking” signs in the area. They decided to refund the man’s …
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A man who received a ticket for stopping in a “no stopping” zone complained that only a “no parking” sign was visible from the spot.
/en/our-work/case-stories/bad-signs
Process undermined
Residents who live close to an open-pit mine contacted us in frustration after complaining to their municipality about noise, dust, and emissions for years. Our review revealed that the municipality had not established a clear complaints procedure or communicated how people should raise their …
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Residents who live close to an open-pit mine contacted us in frustration after complaining to their municipality about noise, dust, and emissions for years.
/en/our-work/case-stories/process-undermined
Under the gun
We received numerous complaints in 2020-2021 about delays in approvals by Ontario’s Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) for transfers of restricted firearms. We learned that this backlog was largely due to COVID-19, as the office was struggling with staff shortages and technological limitations related to …
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We received numerous complaints in 2020-2021 about delays in approvals by Ontario’s Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) for transfers of restricted firearms.
/en/our-work/case-stories/under-gun
Report duty
An inmate sought our help after he was involved in an altercation with another inmate and then pepper sprayed and assaulted by correctional officers. He had reported the assault to health care staff, but our review showed that they did not report the incident to superiors as required by Ministry …
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An inmate sought our help after he was involved in an altercation with another inmate and then pepper sprayed and assaulted by correctional officers.
/en/our-work/case-stories/report-duty
Search terms
Several inmates in the same facility complained to us that they were strip searched in a main hallway, in view of security cameras. Ministry policy requires that searches be conducted in an area and a manner that preserves inmates’ privacy and dignity. Our inquiries led us to escalate the matter to …
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Several inmates in the same facility complained to us that they were strip searched in a main hallway, in view of security cameras.
/en/our-work/case-stories/search-terms
Vote for fairness
A young person in custody contacted us last year to complain that he wasn’t able to vote in the federal election, although he had expressed his interest in voting to the youth facility’s staff members. In our review, we found that the facility didn’t have a proper process in place to ensure that …
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A young person in custody contacted us last year to complain that he wasn’t able to vote in the federal election, although he had expressed his interest in voting to the youth facility’s staff members.
/en/our-work/case-stories/vote-fairness
Sensitive subjects
We received three complaints about a chaotic meeting of council for the Municipality of West Nipissing in March 2019. A portion of the meeting was closed under the exception for “personal matters” in order to discuss an item on the agenda listed as “Municipal Act/Roles & Responsibilities.” …
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We received three complaints about a chaotic meeting of council for the Municipality of West Nipissing in March 2019.
/en/our-work/case-stories/sensitive-subjects
Out-of-town breakdown
As noted in last year’s Annual Report, we received 77 complaints in February 2019 about a City of Hamilton committee’s decision to meet outside of the city – the highest number of complaints we have ever received in a single closed meeting case. At issue were two meetings by the City Manager …
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As noted in last year’s Annual Report, we received 77 complaints in February 2019 about a City of Hamilton committee’s decision to meet outside of the city – the highest number of complaints we have ever received in a single closed meeting case.
/en/our-work/case-stories/out-town-breakdown
Per-pet-ual licence
A dog owner who went to renew the licences for her pets complained to us when the municipality also charged her to renew the licence of a dog that had died six months earlier. She was told she had missed the timeframe to report the dog’s death and return its tag – a requirement that was not on the …
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A dog owner who went to renew the licences for her pets complained to us when the municipality also charged her to renew the licence of a dog that had died six months earlier.
/en/our-work/case-stories/pet-ual-licence
Fair warning
A man who moved a trailer onto a property while he waited for a permit to build a house on it complained that the municipality had removed the trailer without notice. Our inquiries determined that the municipality had warned him to move the trailer several times before he obtained his building …
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A man who moved a trailer onto a property while he waited for a permit to build a house on it complained that the municipality had removed the trailer without notice.
/en/our-work/case-stories/fair-warning
How much?
A man complained to us that he was charged $123.79 for the installation of a new water meter at his cottage, even though the municipality’s fees by-law listed the fee for water meter replacement as $34.38. He was told he should actually have been charged $112.86 – a fee listed elsewhere in the …
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A man complained to us that he was charged $123.79 for the installation of a new water meter at his cottage, even though the municipality’s fees by-law listed the fee for water meter replacement as $34.38.
/en/our-work/case-stories/how-much
Unreasonable search
A group of Indigenous inmates complained to us that they were strip-searched before attending a smudging ceremony, leaving them feeling violated, discriminated against and targeted because of their Indigenous spirituality. Our review determined that the search was ordered as the result of a …
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A group of Indigenous inmates complained to us that they were strip-searched before attending a smudging ceremony, leaving them feeling violated, discriminated against and targeted because of their Indigenous spirituality.
/en/our-work/case-stories/unreasonable-search
Needed support
An inmate who uses a customized wheelchair to support his spine sought our help because he was being repeatedly transferred to a second institution without his chair. The chair provided at the second institution was not appropriate for his condition and he could not safely shower with it. After we …
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An inmate who uses a customized wheelchair to support his spine sought our help because he was being repeatedly transferred to a second institution without his chair.
/en/our-work/case-stories/needed-support
Misconduct-ed
An inmate complained to us after a sergeant at his facility penalized him by taking away 30 days of earned remission (time off his sentence) for refusing a transfer to another facility. He said he was denied a fair hearing, because the same sergeant was involved in investigating the incident and …
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An inmate complained to us after a sergeant at his facility penalized him by taking away 30 days of earned remission (time off his sentence) for refusing a transfer to another facility.
/en/our-work/case-stories/misconduct-ed
Parked at home
A man complained to us about his municipality issuing parking tickets during the COVID-19 state of emergency. He said he and his wife had both received tickets while working from home. Our staff made inquiries with city officials, who told us certain elements of the parking by-law had been …
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A man complained to us about his municipality issuing parking tickets during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
