Federal Ombuds raise awareness of their mandates

GOT A COMPLAINT? FEDERAL OMBUDS ARE HERE TO HELP

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - With the arrival of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Canadians came to realize the importance of their federal, provincial and municipal governments. Governments responded to the pandemic by creating new programs and services. Sometimes, the quality of service provided was affected, as was the speed with which certain files were processed. As a result, many Ombud offices experienced an uptick in complaints.

Often known as ombudspersons or ombudsmen, federal ombuds work confidentially, impartially and independently. They are conflict management professionals who work to resolve complaints. At the same time, they hold governments and agencies accountable for their actions.

While each ombuds' office has a different mandate, they all have one thing in common: they advocate for the principles of fairness and equity.

Federal Ombuds and their staff want to help you. That's what they're all about. So don't hesitate to contact them to find out more about what they can do for you.

Did you know?

Did you know that there are many federal ombuds offices and similar organizations available to help if you believe you have been treated unfairly? They are:

• Canada Post Ombudsman
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Ombudsman (English only)
  & L'ombudsman de Radio-Canada (French only)
• National Capital Commission (NCC) Ombudsman
• Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE)
• Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
• Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI)
• Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime (OFOVC)
• Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO)
• Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson (OTO)
• Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Ombuds Day

Around the world, Ombuds Day is celebrated on the second Thursday in October to increase awareness about ombuds' roles and functions. In the lead-up to Ombuds Day on October 13, 2022, media are invited to contact federal ombuds offices to discuss their respective mandates that can help Canadians gain access to the services they need.  

Additional resources:

• Forum of Canadian Ombudsman (FCO)
• Association of Canadians College and University Ombudspersons (ACCUO)
• International Ombuds Association (IOA)
• International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)
• United States Ombudsman Association (USOA)
• L'Association des Ombudsmans et des Médiateurs de la Francophonie (AOMF) (French only)

Contacts

Please visit the Federal ombuds page to find the respective media relations contacts for each federal ombuds and similar organization.

SOURCE Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson

For media inquiries, please send an e-mail to [email protected]