For each complaint it receives, the Québec Ombudsman determines whether or not it can investigate. At the end of an investigation, if we see that a mistake or injustice has occurred, we make recommendations. We make them to the responsible authorities to have the situation corrected. Here are some real-life stories that provide an overview of our interventions.
A student learned that she no longer qualified for instruction in English. Her father took steps for her to at least finish secondary school in English. When he had not heard back by the start of the school year, he contacted the Québec Ombudsman.
A woman had to spend a few days in a hospital to receive care. When she arrived, a COVID-19 outbreak had begun. She wanted to go home but she was not allowed to, even though she had tested negative. Her daughter was worried and complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A woman had some backfilling done. The Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques said that she was not authorized to do so and demanded that she restore the site to its original condition, even though the municipality had told her she could go ahead with the work. She complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A teenager was living in a foster family. She said that while she lived there, she did not get her personal-expense allowance. She complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A citizen with a disability wanted to have his vehicle adapted. He applied for financial assistance from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). He sent in the required documents more than once, but he was told that his application had not been received. The man complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A hospital patient with a catheter complained of pain. The nurses were not worried about it, but a few days later, they discovered a serious infection. The man had to be treated urgently. When he got better, he complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A person was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after harrowing events at work. The person contacted the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail. When the claim was rejected, the person complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A person complained about a private senior’s residence. The service quality and complaints commissioner handled the complaint but the residence was uncooperative. Disappointed by the commissioner’s conclusions, the person contacted the Québec Ombudsman.
A citizen said the Revenu Québec was taking too long time to process her tax return and this was preventing her from getting her family allowance. She complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
A woman with a mental disorder had been receiving services from a community organization. After a conflict occurred, she was expelled. As she saw it, the caseworker who asked her to leave had disrespected her. She complained to the Québec Ombudsman.
