Ombudsman | Yukon Accountability

Promoting and protecting fairness 

We investigate complaints about public services and provide recommendations and resources to public organizations so they can deliver services fairly. 

We are non-partisan and operate as an independent oversight agency. All complaints filed with the office are confidential.

The office of the Ombudsman is not an advocate for either the Complainant or the Authority. By looking into a complaint of unfairness, our Office can, and does, make recommendations that can be favourable to either party, to both, and to neither.

Public organizations make decisions that affect people's lives. If you believe you have been treated unfairly when engaging in public services, we will work to resolve the unfairness. We may investigate or suggest other ways to solve the problem.

The Ombudsman also works proactively with authorities to assist them in delivering services fairly and sees a complaint as an opportunity to improve services for Yukoners.

Our services are free and confidential for both the public and authorities.

Public organizations we oversee

We support and investigate "authorities" identified in the Ombudsman Act.

Some of these authorities include:

Yukon government departments
Yukon University and its board of governors
Yukon crown corporations (Yukon Housing, Yukon Energy, etc.), commissions, boards and bureaus where its members are either appointed, public officers of the Yukon or responsible to the Government of Yukon
public schools
hospitals
Yukon Human Rights Commission
professional and occupational governing bodies, including the Yukon Association of Educational Professionals and the Yukon Medical Council

The Ombudsman cannot investigate:

disputes between individuals (civil matters), including matters that are before the courts
the federal government
the courts or judges
Yukon Legislative Assembly and its members
Yukon Elections Office
the RCMP
landlord/tenant matters
home or auto insurance
banks
businesses

We can investigate municipalities and Yukon First Nations at their request.

Your Stories

Appeals gone with the wind

A parent complained to our office that the Authority had mishandled their child’s out-of-area school transfer request and appeal. They claimed that the appeal process was unclear and that they had waited more than one month with no response from the Authority.