Ontario Ombudsman issues end-of-term report on historic decade of promoting fairness and rights

Paul Dubé highlights expansion and improvements, urges action on "crisis" in jails

TORONTO, March 24, 2026 /CNW/ - Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé today published a special report summarizing his 10 years in office, a period of historic growth in public sector oversight.

The departing Ombudsman, whose term ends March 31, highlights improvements in public services, but also calls attention to persistent issues, like the urgent ongoing "crisis" in the province's overcrowded jails.

Mr. Dubé led the Ombudsman's Office through the largest expansion of its mandate since it was established 50 years ago. His appointment in April 2016 coincided with legislative changes that added municipalities, universities and school boards to the Ombudsman's purview, which previously only covered provincial government bodies. In 2019, it was further expanded to include French language services and children's services (children's aid societies, foster homes, group homes, youth justice centres and provincial and demonstration schools).

His report details the progress achieved and lessons learned in those expansions – as well as dozens of investigations and hundreds of thousands of individual cases – and emphasizes the resulting value for Ontarians:

"My hope is that Ontarians come to see their Ombudsman as more than useful or helpful, but as truly indispensable," he writes. "No other institution in Ontario has the mandate, the independence or the capacity to promote fairness and respect for rights in public services in the way we do. At a time when confidence in public institutions cannot be taken for granted, that role has never been more important."

Taking complaints about such a broad array of public services – and explaining the Ombudsman's role in improving them – posed significant challenges, says Mr. Dubé, noting: "Many people don't fully understand the Ombudsman's role in a healthy democracy."

To address this, he focused on promoting the Ombudsman's unique ability to protect the rights of Ontarians to fair, accountable public services. This, he notes, is the common thread between people with developmental disabilities who lack appropriate services, vulnerable inmates in correctional facilities, Francophones unable to access services in their language, children and youth in care struggling to be heard, and residents seeking transparency from their municipal governments or school boards.

"Every day, we hear directly from individuals who feel they have been treated unfairly or denied their rights by a public administration – people who have nowhere else to turn," the Ombudsman writes. "Fairness in public administration must be measured by how well systems serve those who face the greatest barriers."

A top personal priority, he says, was to "build relationships based on trust and credibility" with Indigenous communities and individuals, with the aim of co-development of the Office's first Indigenous Services Plan (released on March 12).

"Through listening, learning and genuine partnership, we have begun to chart a new path – one that recognizes the unique role an Ombudsman can play in advancing reconciliation within our jurisdiction," he says.

He also flags "persistent and troubling" issues with the conditions in Ontario's jails, detention centres and youth justice facilities and reiterates his call for urgent reform. In 2024-2025, complaints to the Ombudsman about correctional services – routinely a top topic of complaints – surged by 55% over the previous year, reaching nearly 7,000.

Despite submissions to the government and ongoing proactive work to address individual cases and systemic issues, conditions continue to deteriorate, creating growing safety risks, both for staff and for those in custody, he notes.

"The crisis in Ontario's correctional facilities remains one of the most urgent public policy challenges facing the province today – and one that demands immediate, decisive action."

Similarly, despite two major systemic investigations and many cases where Ombudsman staff successfully worked with government officials and agencies to help individuals with developmental disabilities and their families access needed care and support, a "chronic lack of appropriate supports and services" persists," the Ombudsman writes, particularly for those with complex conditions or serious behavioural challenges.

"Our work has revealed a fragmented system in which vulnerable people are shuffled between ministries, agencies and service providers, with no clear accountability for outcomes," he says, noting that his Office has "pressed for more responsive planning."

At the same time, Mr. Dubé acknowledged the need to recognize and reward good administration, fair treatment and the adoption of best practices by the organizations he oversees – which he did by launching the Ombudsman's Awards for Good Governance in 2025. The three award recipients of the past year – the Ontario Provincial Police, the City of Hamilton, and the Ministry of Transportation – all took exemplary action to resolve complaints and improve services, in line with best practices suggested by the Ombudsman's Office.

Other achievements cited in Mr. Dubé's report include:

• Strong working relationships with municipal staff and councils, through the resolution of some 30,000 complaints over 10 years, and the development of tools like best-practice guides for complaint handling, open meeting practices and codes of conduct. "Today, the Ombudsman is recognized in the municipal sphere not as an adversary but as a neutral partner whose role is to support fair processes and sound administration," he says.
• Improvements in French language services thanks to the dedicated French Language Services Unit and Commissioner fully supported by the Ombudsman's investigation, communications, legal services and early resolution resources and expertise.
• Improvements in child protection services, investigations and policies thanks to the specialized Children and Youth Unit, as well as child-centred complaint handling and a broader vision of youth rights that applies to all children.

Mr. Dubé devotes part of his report to articulating the role of the Ombudsman – what it is, what it does and doesn't do, why it's essential – both in Ontario and around the world. He served as President of the North American Region of the International Ombudsman Institute and was part of group that liaised with the United Nations, which has recognized the essential role of Ombudsman institutions in the protection of human rights, the promotion of good governance and the strengthening of the rule of law.

"At a time when public trust is fragile and democratic norms are under strain, the need for strong and independent oversight has never been greater," he stresses.

"The Ombudsman role does not replace courts, auditors, inspectors or elected representatives. Rather, it complements them, providing a unique, accessible and human-centred form of oversight that helps ensure that government remains fair, responsive and accountable to the people it exists to serve.

"It has been the honour of my professional life to serve the people of Ontario as their Ombudsman. I offer this report with gratitude, pride and enduring confidence in the future of this vital institution."

Ombudsman Dubé's term officially ends March 31. Deputy Ombudsman Barbara Finlay will be designated as Interim Ombudsman if the Legislative Assembly does not appoint a new Ombudsman by April 1. Ms. Finlay previously served as Interim Ombudsman from September 2015 to April 2016.

About Ombudsman Ontario: The Ombudsman, established in 1975 to help protect the rights of all Ontarians, is an independent and impartial officer of the Legislature. The Ombudsman is appointed by an all-party committee of the Legislative Assembly to a term of five years, which can be renewed once. Since 1975, the Ombudsman's Office has handled more than 1 million cases and made more than 1,300 recommendations to improve public services, benefiting millions of people across the province. Under the Ombudsman Act, the Ombudsman reviews and resolves complaints and inquiries from the public about provincial government organizations, French language services, child protection services, municipalities, universities and school boards.

SOURCE Ombudsman Ontario

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Linda Williamson, Director of Communications, [email protected]