Your voice
of fairness.

What does the Ombudsman do?

The Alberta Ombudsman responds to complaints of unfair treatment by provincial government authorities and designated professional organizations.

peter-hourihan

Who is the Ombudsman?

Peter Hourihan was sworn in as Alberta’s eighth Ombudsman in October 2011. Peter spent 35 years in the RCMP working in a variety of policing roles including oversight of all police operations in the province of British Columbia. Peter has significant experience in mediation, development and implementation of programs as well as working as an advisor in the areas of discipline and grievances.

READ MORE ABOUT THE OMBUDSMAN

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    Independent from government
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    Provides services free of charge
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    Promotes standards of fairness
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    Is approachable and responsive
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    Recommends solutions that are fair for both the complainant and government
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    Is respected, influential and effective

Latest News

VIEW ARCHIVE

  • Posted in Uncategorized.

    Seniors share concerns with Ombudsman

    The Alberta Ombudsman met with more than 60 members of the Elders Advocates of Alberta Society on January 27 in Edmonton.

    “We heard a lot of comments and questions about seniors care, and it echoes what we hear on a …

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    Posted in Uncategorized.

    From 10 seconds to 10 years

    By Peter Hourihan
    Alberta Ombudsman

    (Some details about the complainant have been changed to protect his privacy.)

    How does a 10 second encounter turn into 10 years of frustration? In the case of one Albertan who complained to our office, …

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    Posted in Uncategorized.

    Promoting fairness in northeast Alberta

    Alberta’s Ombudsman and a team of investigators will visit St. Paul and Bonnyville in mid-November.

    The visit provides area residents an opportunity to meet with investigators if feel they have been treated unfairly by an Alberta government department, agency, board, …

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  • Posted in Uncategorized.

    Investigators to visit Olds and Hinton

    Ombudsman investigators will be available to meet with with Albertans who feel they have been treated unfairly by an Alberta government department or authority.

    Investigators will be Olds on August 20 at the Olds Recreation Centre between 11 a.m. to …

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    Posted in Uncategorized.

    Investigation update

    Joe and Diann

    Joe Loran, Deputy Ombudsman, and Diann Bowes, an investigations manager who heads up the Ombudsman’s Own Motion Team, discuss an ongoing investigation.

    Last year, the Alberta Ombudsman created a special investigations team. Its mission was to conduct own motion investigations, …

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    Posted in Uncategorized.

    Getting the word out across Alberta

    This spring, Ombudsman investigators fanned out across Alberta, visiting the northern and southern parts of the province.

    On May 14, a team of investigators visited Slake Lake, meeting 11 residents at the Rotary Club of Slave Lake Public Library.

    The …

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    Posted in Uncategorized.

    Meet a voice of fairness in Slave Lake

    Alberta Ombudsman investigators will visit Slake Lake on May 14 to meet residents who have complaints or concerns with how they were treated by an Alberta government department, agency, board, commission, designated professional organization, or Alberta Health Service’s patient concerns …

    READ MORE

Quick Stats

 

The past year in review

From April 2, 2013 through March 31, 2014, written complaints are up 11 per cent over the past year, building on last year’s rise of 2.5 per cent over the previous year.

Oral complaints are also up by 14.4 per cent over the past year, breaking a trend that began in 2010/11 with a declining number of telephone inquiries.

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