This court decision was about a dispute between the Yukon Ombudsman/Commissioners and the Minister of Finance regarding the budgetary independence of House Officers of the Yukon Legislative Assembly. The Yukon Ombudsman/Commissioners co-petitioned the court with the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate. Justice E.M. Campbell ruled that Financial Administration Act allows for the Management Board to review the Petitioners Estimates despite the wording in their acts. However, she also found that the independent officers raise legitimate concerns regarding their budgetary independence.

Our investigation uncovered a problematic appeals process which was compounded by a lack of training and a limited pool of individuals to hear an appeal. These problems include an unfair delay in having the Appeal heard, unfair practices in the conduct of the Appeal, and the nomination of people who did not have sufficient training to conduct the Appeal.

This investigative report concluded that the Department of Environment’s lack of enforcement due to insufficient tracking of site saving is unfair and made six recommendations that were fully accepted by the Department in their letter of response.

This investigation resulted from three separate complaints against the Yukon Human Rights Commission within a two-year period. These complaints, while separate, had similar allegations of unfair delay, settlement bias, and unfair processes. Authority responses are included in the document.

This Ombudsman report arises from three complaints concerning the Human Rights Commission’s investigative and settlement processes as outlined in our investigative report.

The Yukon Ombudsman issued a special report requesting amendments to the Ombudsman Act that provide the same authority found in the majority of Canadian jurisdictions and align it with international best practices.

This second, and final report, completes the Ombudsman’s investigation of a complaint that the Department’s delay of 19 months to inform Hidden Valley Elementary School parents about the sexualized abuse of a student was unfair. The first report substantiated this communications failure and the second report examines whether the relevant Department commitments in the Action Plan meet the Rogers recommendations.

In October 2021, the Ombudsman received a complaint that a delay by the Department of Education in informing the parents of students at Hidden Valley Elementary School about allegations of sexualized abuse of a student by a staff member was unfair because they had no critical opportunity to talk to their children and provide or seek any necessary supports in a timely manner. The complainant also believed that the delay resulted in other alleged child victims not receiving the supports they needed in a timely manner.