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Suspended payment

A woman was owed thousands of dollars in support payments by a former spouse who was living in British Columbia. She told us she was concerned that the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Unit of the Family Responsibility Office (FRO), which handles interprovincial cases, was not enforcing a court …
A woman was owed thousands of dollars in support payments by a former spouse who was living in British Columbia.

Seal of disapproval

A man who pays family support through the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) complained to us that the FRO was garnishing too much from his federal disability payments, leaving him unable to pay his rent. We raised the case with FRO staff, noting that a recent court order set out how much it could …
A man who pays family support through the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) complained to us that the FRO was garnishing too much from his federal disability payments, leaving him unable to pay his rent.

Waiting to be heard

A single mom of a child with a disability contacted us in desperation. She had purchased a new house, but the tenants living there refused to move out, and owed more than $20,000 in rent. As the woman waited for a hearing with the Landlord and Tenant Board, she had to stop therapy for her daughter …
A single mom of a child with a disability contacted us in desperation.

Guardian angels

A community support worker contacted us with concerns about a 97-year-old neighbour. She suspected the elderly woman was being taken advantage of by a man who apparently had control over her finances and vehicle. The worker told us she had reported these concerns to the Office of the Public …
A community support worker contacted us with concerns about a 97-year-old neighbour.

Capacity concerns

A woman sought our help after her husband, who recently had an aneurysm, underwent a capacity assessment to determine his ability to make decisions about his property and personal care. We learned that she had made an application for guardianship of her husband, but her lawyer had not submitted all …
A woman sought our help after her husband, who recently had an aneurysm, underwent a capacity assessment to determine his ability to make decisions about his property and personal care.

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 …
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.

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. …
Three residents told us that construction near their homes had caused their wells to dry up.

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, …
A woman reached out to us because her family’s subsidized housing unit was uninhabitable after a fire.

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 …
A woman complained to us about how her municipality handled her request to convert a shipping container into a garden shed.

Added grief

A woman whose common-law spouse had died while they were living in a homeless shelter complained to us that the Chief Coroner’s Office had buried him even though she had requested to claim the body. When we spoke to the Coroner’s Office, we were told that the woman hadn’t taken the appropriate …
A woman whose common-law spouse had died while they were living in a homeless shelter complained to us that the Chief Coroner’s Office had buried him even though she had requested to claim the body.

Issues overlooked

An inmate told us a correctional officer threw him to the ground and started punching and kneeing him – leaving the inmate with swollen arms and a broken hand. We confirmed that the inmate had received medical treatment, including medication and multiple x-rays. However, we discovered that although …
An inmate told us a correctional officer threw him to the ground and started punching and kneeing him – leaving the inmate with swollen arms and a broken hand.

Dangerously close

An inmate sought our help because he was housed on the same range with another inmate who was facing charges for stabbing him – and, he told us, was now extorting him for access to the canteen, food and phone calls. We alerted senior staff at the facility, and the two inmates were separated shortly …
An inmate sought our help because he was housed on the same range with another inmate who was facing charges for stabbing him – and, he told us, was now extorting him for access to the canteen, food and phone calls.

2022-2023 Annual Report

O N T A R I O O N TA R I O ’ S WATC H D O G 2022 2023 ANNUAL REPORT OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN OF ONTARIO We are: An independent office of the Legislature that resolves and investigates public complaints about services provided by Ontario public sector bodies. These include provincial government …
Ombudsman's Message - Value for all: In preparing this Annual Report, my eighth as Ombudsman, I am struck by the sheer scope of change that Ontario’s public sector, including my Office, has experienced since 2016.

Lessons for the Long Term

O N T A 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 Lessons for the Long Term DIRECTOR, SPECIAL …
Investigation into the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s oversight of long-term care homes through inspection and enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Municipality of Callander - September 20, 2023

The Ombudsman received complaints about meetings held by the Committee of Adjustment; the Culture, Heritage and Tourism Committee; the Events Committee; and the Implementation and Beautification Advisory Committee in the Municipality of Callander. The complaints raised various concerns, including …
The Ombudsman received complaints about meetings held by the Committee of Adjustment; the Culture, Heritage and Tourism Committee; the Events Committee; and the Implementation and Beautification Advisory Committee in the Municipality of Callander.

City of Hamilton - November 21, 2023

Ombudsman Report Investigation into a complaint about a meeting held by the City of Hamilton’s General Issues Committee on February 6, 2019 Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario November 2023 Investigation into a complaint about a meeting held by the City of Hamilton’s General Issues Committee on February …
The Ombudsman investigated a complaint about a closed meeting held on February 6, 2019 by the General Issues Committee of the City of Hamilton. The discussion in closed session related to a consultant’s report from November 20, 2013 that found that there were low levels of friction on the Red Hill Valley Parkway. The complaint alleged that the Committee breached the open meeting rules when it misrepresented a four-part PowerPoint presentation as a single item, and that some of the content did not fit within the exceptions of the Municipal Act, 2001. The Ombudsman concluded that the Committee did not contravene the open meeting requirements under the Municipal Act, 2001, as the in camera discussion was permissible under the Act. However, to improve the accountability and transparency of its meetings, the Ombudsman made best practice suggestions relating to the Committee’s closed meeting procedures.

City of Elliot Lake - February 20, 2024

Ombudsman Report Investigation into a complaint about closed meetings held by the City of Elliot Lake on January 12 and January 30, 2023 Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario February 2024 Investigation into a complaint about closed meetings held by the City of Elliot Lake on January 12 and January 30, …
The Ombudsman received complaints that two closed meetings of council for the City of Elliot Lake did not fit into the closed meeting exceptions. The Ombudsman found that the meetings fit within the closed meeting exceptions except for a portion of one of the closed session discussions, which did not fit within the exception for personal matters.

Town of Deep River - October 19, 2023

The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint regarding the April 19, 2023 meeting of Council for the Town of Deep River. The complainant alleged that Council contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 (the “Act”) by holding a discussion in closed session about the Town’s organizational structure, particularly that …
The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint regarding the April 19, 2023 meeting of Council for the Town of Deep River.

Huronia Airport Task Force - October 30, 2023

Ombudsman Report Investigation into a complaint about a meeting held by the Huronia Airport Task Force of the Town of Midland, Town of Penetanguishene, and Township of Tiny on April 19, 2022 Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario October 2023 Investigation into a complaint about a meeting held by the …
The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint that the April 19, 2022 electronic presentation of the Huronia Airport Task Force was not broadcast in the manner specified on the public notice.   The Ombudsman found that the Huronia Airport Task Force was a committee of the Town of Midland, the Town of Penetanguishene, and the Township of Tiny under each municipality’s procedure by-law. The Ombudsman determined that as the Huronia Airport Task Force materially advanced its business on April 19, 2022, the presentation was a meeting subject to the open meeting rules in each municipality’s procedure by-law. The Ombudsman found that the Town of Midland, the Town of Penetanguishene, and the Township of Tiny contravened the open meeting rules under their respective procedure by-laws when the municipalities failed to provide updated public notice regarding the changed electronic location of the Huronia Airport Task Force’s meeting on April 19, 2022, or record minutes of that meeting.

Municipality of West Elgin - September 7, 2023

The Ombudsman received a complaint that members of the public could not access the live broadcast of a meeting of council for the Municipality of West Elgin after council returned to open session from a closed session. This link opens in a new tab Read the letter (accessible PDF) … The Ombudsman …
The Ombudsman received a complaint that members of the public could not access the live broadcast of a meeting of council for the Municipality of West Elgin after council returned to open session from a closed session.