File your complaint

Do you have a complaint?

Do you have a problem with an Ontario government organization, your city or town, or another public body (such as a children’s aid society, university, or school board)?

We help fix problems with public services.

Find out what we can help you with.

• Call us at 1-800-263-1830
• Email us at info@ombudsman.on.ca 

Before you make a complaint

Check if your complaint is something we can help with

We can take complaints about:

• Ontario government services
• Provincial agencies, boards and tribunals
• Municipalities (your city, town or township government)
• School boards and universities
• Services for children and youth (children’s aid, foster homes, youth justice facilities)
• French language services

You can make a complaint online, by email, by phone, or in person.

We can’t take complaints about: 

• Private businesses (like stores, banks, cable or phone companies)
• Judges and courts or their decisions
• Elected officials (politicians)
• Hospitals and long-term care homes*
• Federal programs and services (such as Canada Pension Plan, Canada Post) 

*However, we can take complaints about French language services provided by certain hospitals, long-term care homes and other bodies specified in the regulations to the French Language Services Act.

Find out who to contact if we can’t help.

Try to solve your problem with the organization first 

Have you tried to solve your problem? All organizations should have a complaint process. Share your concerns with them directly. Or call us and we’ll help you.  

Collect information and documents

We need information about your complaint so we can help you. Try to gather these things to help us understand the problem:

• Names and titles of people you spoke to or emailed
• When you contacted them (dates)
• What they told you (notes or copies of emails)