News

In light of the ongoing situation with COVID-19, we have adapted our business practices to serve Albertans remotely. We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure we are able to meet the requirements of our legislation, while we align with the latest announcements made to protect public health. Every Albertan has the right to…

Until further notice and effective immediately, we have made the decision to close offices in both Edmonton and Calgary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The health and well-being of our staff and visitors to our office remains of primary importance to us. We are closely monitoring this rapidly evolving situation to ensure our…

This fall, the Ombudsman and a team of managers set off on the first leg of her tour to promote fair decision-making in adult provincial correctional facilities. The visits stemmed from a pilot presentation at Edmonton Remand Centre in March 2019, where investigators were invited to speak on the importance of good administrative fairness practices.…

EDMONTON – the Alberta Ombudsman releases a report on Mental Health Review Panels. In 2013 and 2014, the previous Alberta Ombudsman found broad areas of unfairness with Mental Health Review Panels (review panels) processes and made several recommendations to improve the situation. We launched this investigation because the 2014 recommendations had not been fully implemented.…

Over the years the mandate of the office has expanded. At present it investigates complaints about the decisions and actions of provincial government departments, boards, agencies and commissions, designated professional organizations and the Patient Concerns Resolution Process of Alberta Health Services. It also investigates complaints about municipalities; the Alberta Legislature has passed the new Municipal…

A search committee of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta has recommended the appointment of Marianne Ryan as Alberta’s ninth Ombudsman and second Public Interest Commissioner. Through a long and distinguished 35-year career in policing, Ryan most recently served as the Commanding Officer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta, and was one of the…

An impartial and neutral independent office of the Legislative Assembly, the Alberta Ombudsman is uniquely positioned to investigate complaints related to municipalities. As Canada’s oldest parliamentary ombudsman office with nearly 50 years of experience, our office looks forward to working in a meaningful and collaborative manner with both complainants and municipalities in the future. We have…

EDMONTON – An Alberta Ombudsman own motion investigation has led to changes by the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADAC) that will improve access to the organization’s complaint review process. The Ombudsman’s investigation, launched in December 2015, was triggered after receiving complaints from Albertans asked to pay a $500 fee to request a review of…

EDMONTON – The Alberta Ombudsman and investigators will visit Whitecourt on June 6th and Edson on June 7th. Residents of Whitecourt, Edson and surrounding communities are invited to attend presentations by an investigator about the role of our office. They can also book an individual appointment with an investigator to discuss how they may have been…

An Alberta Ombudsman review of the Student Aid Alberta program has led to changes by the province to improve information and transparency regarding the student loan review process. The Ombudsman’s review was triggered by a student inquiry in 2014 about the review process. The Ombudsman found there was insufficient information on Alberta Innovation and Advanced…

The Alberta Ombudsman investigates complaints to determine whether a government entity has acted fairly and reasonably, and whether its actions and decisions were consistent with relevant legislation, policies and procedures. The Ombudsman is independent from government.  We strive to be open, approachable and responsive to the questions and concerns of all Albertans. Below are some…

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 regular basis when we meet with complainants or deliver presentations across Alberta,” said Peter Hourihan,…

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, a thoughtless comment led to a breakdown in trust of the health care system –…

Alberta’s Ombudsman, Peter Hourihan, spoke recently with members of the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs in Lethbridge about the role of both the offices of the Ombudsman and the Public Interest Commissioner. Click the links below to hear Peter’s September 18 speech, as well as a question and answer session. Speech: http://sacpa.ca/userfile/session/649_0.mp3 Q &…

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, which can be triggered at any time, on any matter of public interest under our…

On Wednesday, April 9, the Alberta Ombudsman was made aware this website, and the website for the Public Interest Commissioner (www.yourvoiceprotected.ca) were some of the thousands of sites around the world vulnerable to the so-called Heartbleed loophole, or bug. News stories indicate websites using OpenSSL for site security (including Yahoo, the FBI, the Canada Revenue…

Peter Hourihan dropped by Edmonton’s 630 CHED studios recently to chat about his dual roles as Alberta’s Ombudsman and the province’s first Public Interest Commissioner. The stop was part of Peter’s efforts to raise awareness of the services offered by both independent offices of the Alberta legislature. He chatted with 630 CHED hosts Andrew Grose and…

Peter Hourihan, Alberta’s Ombudsman, has officially begun his duties as the province’s first Public Interest Commissioner. The Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act came into effect June 1, 2013, and in the weeks following Mr. Hourihan’s appointment as Commissioner, he was been working to set up the Public Interest Commissioner’s office, hiring staff and developing an interactive…

Welcome to the third issue of our electronic newsletter. As always, our goal is to inform you about the work our office does as we investigate complaints of unfair treatment – and how it may impact you as a front line worker or decision-maker in government. In this issue, you’ll find a preview of our…