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Our role, what you can expect and how we can help

Watch this video to learn about how we can help you, our 50-year track record as an independent institution – and even what “ombudsman” means – all packed into a few minutes.

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Empty plastic bottles hang from a patio in Neskantaga First Nation

Deploring unacceptable conditions in Neskantaga First Nation

On September 16 and 17, I was invited by Chief Gary Quisess to the community of Neskantaga First Nation, an Ojibwe community located on Attiwapiskat Lake in Northern Ontario, close to 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.

It is shocking that in 2025, after decades of promises from federal and provincial governments, Neskantaga First Nation continues to suffer under unacceptable conditions, including boil-water advisories, a lack of education and inadequate access to health care.

Read the Message from the Ombudsman

Help for...

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Family of four outside in a park

Indigenous people

We help everyone with concerns about Ontario public services. If you are Indigenous, we will make sure your rights and cultural safety are respected.

A multi-generational family sitting on a couch

Children, youth and families

We help young people and their families get fair treatment from public services. We make sure children and teens know their rights and their voices are heard.

Group of people smiling and laughing

French speakers

Everyone has the right to receive services in French from the government of Ontario. We can help you in French with any concern you have about a government or public service.

Our work

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Lost in Transition

Investigation into whether the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health are taking adequate steps to address the inappropriate hospitalization of adults with developmental disabilities

Missed Messages

Investigation into unilingual out-of-home government advertising regarding health services between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2023.

Rights Unrecognized: Mia’s Story

Investigation into the adequacy of services provided by York Region Children’s Aid Society to “Mia”

What we can help you with

Certificates and permits

Issues with birth, death or marriage certificates, driver’s licences and other identification documents, provincial and municipal permits, and more.

Children and youth

Issues with children’s services like children’s aid societies and Indigenous child and family well-being agencies, foster homes or group homes, special needs supports, youth justice, and more.

Education

Issues related to daycare, early childhood education, public school (K-12), colleges and universities, as well as adult learning, post-secondary grants and loans, and more.

Employment

Issues with workplace injury compensation, Employment Standards Act claims or appeals, apprenticeship programs, and more.

Energy and environment

Issues related to municipal hydro, natural resources, parks, environmental assessments, Indigenous hunting and fishing rights, land use planning, wildlife protection, and more.

French language services

Issues with obtaining provincial government services and information in French.

Health

Issues with OHIP coverage, funding for drugs and assistive devices, inspections of long-term care homes and ambulance services, and more.

Law and order

Issues like police oversight and training, provincial correctional facilities, youth justice centres, tribunals and court services, and more.

Money and property

Issues related to lotteries, property assessments, liquor and cannabis sales, provincial tax rebates for First Nations or other groups, and more.

Municipalities

Issues with local government services, councils and committees, by-law enforcement, infrastructure, garbage and snow removal, and more.

Social services

Issues with family and spousal support payments, Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, special needs programs and funding for adults and children, and more.

Transportation

Issues with driver’s licences, driver testing, public transit, vehicle registration, roads and highways, and more.

News

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January 27, 2026

"Voci in Ascolto" - Interview with Paul Dubé, Ombudsman of Ontario

"Voci in Ascolto", or "Listening Voices", is an interview series created by an association of Italian ombudsmen to provide a firsthand account of the experiences of ombudsmen around the world. We...
January 19, 2026

Ombudsman's address to the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) annual conference

Hello, Bonjour and Bouzhou – it’s great to be back at the ROMA conference. I always value my time at your conferences, because I have the chance to meet with so many of you directly. It’s by far the...
January 16, 2026

10 years of collaboration (Municipal World)

Paul Dubé, Ombudsman of Ontario December 2025 Municipal World Read accessible PDF On New Year’s Day 2016, Ontario became one of the last provinces in Canada to extend Ombudsman oversight to...