Ontario Ombudsman awarded King Charles III Coronation medal as his office marks 50th anniversary

(TORONTO – March 3, 2025) Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé today received the King Charles III Coronation Medal, presented by Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont at a ceremony she hosted at Queen’s Park. The medal, which marks King Charles III’s coronation in 2023, is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service to Canada.

Mr. Dubé said the medal is particularly significant because it comes as Ombudsman Ontario marks its 50th anniversary. On March 11, 1975, the Ontario government announced in a Speech from the Throne that it would appoint an independent, impartial Ombudsman, which it did in October that year.

“I am immensely grateful not only for this personal recognition, but for the acknowledgment of the vital role the Ombudsman institution plays in strengthening democracy through the protection of people’s rights. I see it as a tribute to the dedicated team I am privileged to work with and the remarkable organization I am fortunate to lead,” said Ombudsman Dubé.

“For almost 50 years, Ombudsman Ontario has served the people of Ontario with distinction. As we mark this milestone anniversary this year, I humbly accept this honour on behalf of all those—past and present—who have contributed to our mission and to the significant results Ombudsman Ontario has achieved for the people of Ontario since 1975.”

About the medal: The Coronation Medal is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation and is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada.

About Ombudsman Dubé: Paul Dubé is Ontario’s seventh Ombudsman. He was appointed April 1, 2016 and reappointed to a second and final five-year term on April 1, 2021. His tenure has included the two largest mandate expansions in Ombudsman Ontario’s history. Ombudsman oversight now extends to all provincial government bodies, municipalities, universities and school boards, as well as French language services and child protection services.

Throughout his term, he has promoted and protected the rights of Ontarians by overseeing the resolution of tens of thousands of complaints, investigating systemic issues, and making recommendations to improve pubic services for children and adults with special needs, people in crisis in conflict situations with police, inmates in solitary confinement, small landlords and tenants struggling with delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board, and more. Mr. Dubé established dedicated teams to handle cases related to linguistic rights under the French Language Services Act, and to ensure the rights of young people in care are respected. He has also championed transparency at the local government level in hundreds of municipal open meeting investigations, and in promoting integrity and conduct standards for municipal councils and school boards.

Prior to becoming Ontario Ombudsman, Mr. Dubé served as Canada’s first Taxpayers' Ombudsman from 2008 to 2014.

About Ombudsman Ontario’s 50th anniversary: On March 11, 1975, Ontario became Canada’s seventh province to announce the creation of an independent, impartial Ombudsman institution to protect the people’s right to fair treatment by public bodies. The Ombudsman Act was passed in May that year, and on October 30, 1975, Arthur Maloney was sworn in as the first Ombudsman.

Since then, Ombudsman Ontario has handled more than 1 million complaints and inquiries and conducted hundreds of investigations, resulting in more than 1,300 recommendations.

The vast majority of Ombudsman recommendations to improve public services have been implemented, benefiting millions of Ontarians. Among those benefits: Expanded screening of newborn babies for metabolic diseases, a more secure lottery system, a more transparent property assessment system, expanded coverage of certain drugs, administrative improvements at tribunals, better pandemic preparedness in long-term care homes, better notifications of driver licence suspensions and broader civilian oversight of police.

Throughout this milestone year, Ombudsman Ontario is sharing information through its website, social media and a range of public outreach activities about the many ways its work has helped Ontarians over five decades, as well as the impact the Ombudsman institution has had and continues to have today.


For more information, contact:
Linda Williamson, Director of Communications
[email protected]