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Sound the alarm

A vendor complained to us after attempting to bid on a school board’s fire alarm testing contract. The board initially provided information about the bidding process, but later told the vendor only pre-qualified organizations could submit proposals. The vendor said he would have gone through the …
A vendor complained to us after attempting to bid on a school board’s fire alarm testing contract.

Home security

Issues: Group home; Rights (Good care); Rights (Safety) A 16-year-old complained that staff at his group home weren’t helpful to him after his personal belongings, including a laptop, were stolen or damaged by other youths living in the home. When we contacted staff at the responsible agency, they …
A 16-year-old complained that staff at his group home weren’t helpful to him after his personal belongings, including a laptop, were stolen or damaged by other youths living in the home.

Opening doors

Issues: Children’s aid society; Rights (Good care); Rights (Fairness) A youth who was turning 18 called us for help when plans for her to enter a transitional housing program and complete her final semester of high school fell through. She could not reach her CAS worker, who had gone on a sudden …
A youth who was turning 18 called us for help when plans for her to enter a transitional housing program and complete her final semester of high school fell through.

Far from home

Issues: Children’s aid society; Rights (Fairness) After he suffered a traumatic brain injury, an eight-year-old boy in the care of a northern children’s aid society (CAS) was airlifted from his home community to a rehabilitation hospital in southern Ontario. Hospital staff called us when he was …
After he suffered a traumatic brain injury, an eight-year-old boy in the care of a northern children’s aid society (CAS) was airlifted from his home community to a rehabilitation hospital in southern Ontario.

Funding frustration

The mother of an 11-year-old with autism and developmental disabilities contacted us when she wasn’t able to access funding under the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) or the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities program (ACSD), even though she believed her child was eligible for both. When …
The mother of an 11-year-old with autism and developmental disabilities contacted us when she wasn’t able to access funding under the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) or the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities program (ACSD), even though she believed her child was eligible for both.

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.