PROGRAMS ADRIFT Complaints to the Ombudsman Reveal Systemic Issues In Kevin Brezinski’s latest public report, systemic issues were uncovered within the Alberta Adult Health Benefit program and Alberta Child Health Benefit program, operated jointly by Alberta Health and Seniors, Community and Social Services (SCSS). The Albertans accessing the programs are those with lower income who…
Alberta Ombudsman finds inadequate Regulation impacts benefit access for people with developmental disabilities. The Alberta Ombudsman has released a public report on his investigation into the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program which found systemic issues in how the program assesses intellectual capacity. The investigation, initiated by a complaint from a mother advocating for her…
This January marks Kevin Brezinski’s one-year anniversary in office since he began as Alberta Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner. We sat down with the Ombudsman to ask about his time in these two important roles and his plans for the future. “Serving the public and conducting investigations was integral throughout my career in policing. Early on,…
Alberta Ombudsman releases own motion investigation report into the Criminal Code Review Board Every Albertan has the right to fair treatment when accessing public services. As an independent Officer of the Legislative Assembly, the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction includes the Criminal Code Review Board (CCRB). The CCRB serves both the patient and the public and is responsible…
Join us in celebrating the 6th annual Ombuds Day! What is Ombuds Day? Every year on the second Thursday of October, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section Ombuds Committee and Ombuds Day Subcommittee invite us to celebrate Ombudsman Day. It’s a day dedicated to bringing awareness to a profession that has quietly played a…
The Reconciliation Garden, Kihciy Maskikiy/Aakaakmotaani Now Open to the Public The Opening Ceremony On Friday, September 29th, the Reconciliation Garden ‘Kihciy Maskikiy / Aakaakmotaani’ opened to the public in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Our office was grateful to have been given the invitation to attend the opening ceremony. This garden and…
Making it Fair is a podcast series led by the Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman (CCPO). In this video, Diann Bowes and Chad Bouman join host, Lindsay Sellinger on a journey to explore the evolution of Alberta’s administrative fairness principles and the difference these principles are making to individual lives and government systems overall. To…
EDMONTON – Alberta Ombudsman, Kevin Brezinski and his staff met with the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council (ACCEC) today. The organization, led by Executive Director and President, Dunia Nur, is a national public affairs organization that promotes and strengthens opportunities for African, Caribbean, Black and Racialized Communities. “ACCEC’s research initiatives speak to the lived experiences…
A swearing-in ceremony for the leader of two independent offices of the Alberta Legislative Assembly took place today. Kevin Brezinski is Alberta’s tenth Ombudsman and third Public Interest Commissioner, accepting a five-year appointment to the dual roles. As an independent Officer of the Legislative Assembly, Brezinski will lead investigative operations for both offices. “Hearing I…
This opinion piece by former staffer Daniel Johns first appeared in the Edmonton Journal on October 28, 2022. Daniel Johns is an ex-journalist who began his career at the Alberta Ombudsman’s office in 1986. He retired in the summer of 2022 as Manager, Institutional Knowledge, and Research after 36 years with the office. Back in…