Your Voice of Fairness.
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…
This article first appeared in a collaborative series produced by the Alberta Municipalities, Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Ombudsman’s office. To read the full four-part series, start here. The Ombudsman looked deeper into a code of conduct complaint against several elected officials and recommended a municipal council provide a written decision to the complainant, including…
This article first appeared in a collaborative series produced by the Alberta Municipalities, Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Ombudsman’s office. To read the full four-part series, start here. A senior couple affected by an annexation agreement between municipalities wanted to continue to live in their home which over the years had been modified…
Approaching sensitive complaints with empathy is more likely to help those in need. This is what happened when a mourning husband turned to the Ombudsman’s office to seek justice following the loss of his spouse. Mr. Bastien* complained to the Ombudsman’s office following a chain of events involving ambulance services, medical treatment, and the recent…
When a municipality dismisses a resident’s complaint about a councillor, it can expect the resident will express a legitimate interest in understanding the reasons. Maria Levine1 is a resident of a midsized town in rural Alberta. Ms. Levine wrote to the Ombudsman because she believed the town’s process for investigating her complaint about the professional…
When new legislation rolls out for the first time, it can sometimes cause confusion and highlight administrative problems. That is exactly what happened when the Referendum Act was applied during the last municipal election in October 2021. Ruth Miller[1] is a resident of the Special Areas. The Special Areas is a unique form of local…
Alberta Ombudsman’s Administrative Fairness Guidelines (guidelines) will assist everyone in their quest to achieve fairness in the course of performing their everyday duties. As such, a recent inquiry from Mr. Corso*, an investigator with a Government of Alberta department, on how to apply them was most welcome. The guidelines describe the standard all administrators are…
When decisions are made affecting Albertans, they expect to understand why the decisions were made and where to go to have their specific concerns addressed if they disagree. Jeff Brown* reported he and his wife experienced unprofessionalism by a health practitioner that ultimately led to a refusal of medical treatment. When he complained to the…