International Ombuds Day to be celebrated on Thursday, October 8th

Mon, Oct 05, 2020

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Ombudsman, Diane McLeod-McKay, is joining her colleagues across Canada and internationally to mark Ombuds Day on October 8th. The theme for this year is “Ombuds: Unusual Name. Important Service.”

“Having served as Yukon’s Ombudsman since 2013, I have noted that although public awareness about the role of our office has grown, there are still many Yukoners who are uncertain about what an Ombudsman does, or how they may be able to use our services,” said McLeod-McKay. “This is one of the reasons we are pleased to mark Ombuds Day and provide information to Yukoners about our work.”

During the summer of 2020, the Yukon Ombudsman ran a media campaign, placing ads in Yukon newspapers that outlined the kinds of problems that the office of the Ombudsman can help with.

The Ombudsman looks into complaints from citizens who feel they have been treated unfairly in the delivery of services by the Yukon government and other public authorities. These complaints may be about such things as delays in receiving a government decision, not being given the opportunity to provide input to a government decision, barriers to accessing a service and many other issues. The Ombudsman oversees such public authorities as the Yukon government, schools, Yukon University, hospitals, crown corporations and more.

“Navigating the complexity of a large bureaucracy can be a significant challenge,” said McLeod-McKay. “My staff and I have extensive experience in working with government and can help resolve issues that may be challenging for individuals to manage on their own. This may occur through the work of our informal case resolution team, or through a full investigation, if necessary.”

Yukoners are encouraged to become familiar with the role of the Yukon Ombudsman and to make use of the office’s services as needed. Staff at the office are available to answer any questions Yukoners may have about their work.

In order to encourage fairness in government and public authority services and to raise awareness of the importance of fairness, the Yukon Ombudsman was part of the development of Fairness by Design. This tool was created in collaboration with Ombuds offices across Canada. Its purpose is to assist public officials with incorporating fairness into the design of programs and services to ensure they are delivered in a fair manner. Fairness by Design is available on the Yukon Ombudsman’s website here.

The office of the Yukon Ombudsman was established in July 1996 when the Ombudsman Act was proclaimed.

The Ombudsman, Information and Privacy Commissioner, and Public Interest Disclosure Commissioner is an independent officer of the Yukon Legislative Assembly. For more information, please go to www.yukonombudsman.ca.

To download a PDF of this news release, click here.

Contact:

Elaine Schiman  
Communications Manager
Office of the Yukon Ombudsman, Information and Privacy Commissioner & Public Interest Disclosure Commissioner
elaine.schiman@yukonombudsman.ca
867-332-4555
867-334-2975
www.yukonombudsman.ca

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