Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé today called on the Township of St. Clair to apologize to a resident for surprising her with a bill for $11,700.63 in by-law enforcement expenses that it had no legal authority to charge.
/resources/news/press-releases/2018/township-should-apologize,-forgive-property-owner’s-$11,700-debt
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.
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/selected-cases/2021/cleared-up
When a conservation authority approved a permit to fill regulated flood plains, we received several complaints from local residents concerned about the negative effects on the environment.
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/selected-cases/2023/flood-of-concern
Ombudsman's Message - Expanding our Horizons It is an honour and a privilege for me to serve as Ontario’s seventh Ombudsman. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to lead such a remarkable team; one I have long held in high esteem. Collectively, we are dedicated ...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/annual-reports/2015-2016-annual-report
The Ombudsman warned Sudbury councillors that their closed-door meeting regarding the city’s Elton John concert ticket scandal was close to the legal line.
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2008/city-of-greater-sudbury-don’t-let-the-sun-go-down-on-me
Investigation into whether the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has failed to properly administer newborn screening in Ontario.
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/reports-on-investigations/2005/the-right-to-be-impatient
There are many communities that have for years decried a crisis of confidence in Ontario police. The province’s much-anticipated new omnibus policing legislation, packaged as the Safer Ontario Act, 2017, appears to have been met with general optimism — perhaps as much a measu...
/resources/speeches-and-articles/articles/2017/speaker-s-corner-making-police-accountable-long-overdue-(law-times)
The Ombudsman found that the Town of Essex held an illegal closed meeting when it exercised its authority and decided through a series of emails in April 2015 to modify the council prayer. The Ombudsman acknowledged that council and staff acted in good faith in order to ensur...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2015/town-of-essex
Ombudsman’s Message - The value of independent oversight In many organizations, an Annual Report is a showcase of numbers, an illustrated balance sheet that carefully quantifies success, growth and value. As I present my third Annual Report as Ontario’s Ombudsman, I can se...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/annual-reports/2017-2018-annual-report
We received a complaint that council for the Township of Lanark Highlands inappropriately met in camera on July 17, 2017 under the “advice subject to solicitor client privilege” and “personal matters” exceptions to the open meeting rules. The Ombudsman found that council disc...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2018/township-of-lanark-highlands