WHAT HAPPENED? Xavier J. placed some sports bets with Play Alberta, the province’s only regulated gambling website, which is administered by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC). One of the bets was on a hockey game—even though Xavier picked the winning team, Play Alberta called it a loss when the game went into overtime. Another bet was on a baseball game. Again, Xavier’s team won, but he…
WHAT HAPPENED? One of Alberta’s largest cities asked Brayden W. to keep his water running while they worked on a water line near his property. While the City did not specify how long the work was expected to take, they assured Brayden that he would be reimbursed for the additional expenses incurred by the increased water usage. …
WHAT HAPPENED? When Sarah’s Student Aid funds were blocked due to a missed deadline, she found herself in a financial bind. Sarah believed that she had successfully completed the forms required to receive Student Aid from the Ministry of Advanced Education. But the funds never arrived. Sarah contacted Student Aid and was informed that she…
WHAT HAPPENED? Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) is a program that offers financial and health benefits for eligible Albertans with a permanent medical condition that prevents them from otherwise earning a living. An individual receiving AISH applied for an additional personal benefit to fund a specialized treatment to relieve symptoms of a severe…
WHAT HAPPENED? The Ombudsman’s office received an email from a youth in a desperate situation regarding her court ordered guardian. She said there were conditions in the court order that affected her, but she believed her interests were not being considered and she was at risk of harm and abuse. The youth felt no one…
WHAT HAPPENED? It all started with a broken fence, a frustrated neighbour, and a confusing bylaw. An individual contacted the Ombudsman’s office with concerns regarding her neighbour’s fence. She included pictures and the fence mirrored that of a hockey player’s smile—there were more missing planks than those still standing. It was clear the fence was…
WHAT HAPPENED? An Albertan complained that a large municipality overcharged him when he applied for a permit to complete renovations on his basement suite. The City advised that it charged the penalty because the complainant did the work without first obtaining the necessary permits and approvals. WHAT DID THE OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE DO? Our investigator determined…
WHAT HAPPENED? An Alberta resident raised concerns when a summer village approved a development permit for their neighbour’s property. As an affected party, the resident submitted an appeal to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB). The individual learned that because of a recent bylaw change, the fee to submit the appeal had increased to…
WHAT HAPPENED? Our office received a complaint from a senior who was denied assistance to fund a dental procedure. At the time, he was receiving benefits through a program called the Dental Assistance for Seniors Program, or DASP. The individual, who was familiar with the Ombudsman’s office, believed the denial was unfair because he was…
WHAT HAPPENED? An individual complained to the Ombudsman about a trespass order he received from a small rural municipality after he lost his temper and yelled at a Council meeting. In response, Council discussed the matter privately. It then issued a trespass order, banning the individual from physically attending Council meetings for 60 days. WHAT…