Victoria – As part of her ongoing effort to bring the Office of the Ombudsperson to communities throughout British Columbia, Ombudsperson Kim Carter will be meeting with community groups and public agencies falling under her jurisdiction during her visit to parts of Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland from March 4 to 7. She will speak on the role of the office in a modern, democratic society as well as on her recent reports dealing with seniors care in the province, adult guardianship and open meetings.
“We’re here to serve the entire province, and I want people to know they can come to us if they believe a public agency has not dealt with them fairly”, said Carter. Last year, the office opened over 2,000 files from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland that involved authorities such as Translink, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, BC Hydro and the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles.
The Ombudsperson’s Office can investigate complaints about all provincial ministries and crown corporations, colleges and universities, schools and boards of education, health authorities, local governments and self-governing professions. While the Ombudsperson is in Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, investigators will also be meeting in person with individuals who have a complaint about a provincial or local government agency. Free, confidential and professional interpretation services will be offered. However, due to demand, appointments to make a complaint while the office is in each community need to be booked ahead of time by calling 1-800-567-3247.
Carter explained that while her office receives the bulk of complaints by telephone, mail or online, some people are more comfortable raising their concerns face-to-face, and it’s important to her that this opportunity is available to people throughout the province.
The Ombudsperson is an independent officer of the legislature. The office’s mandate is to ensure that provincial and local public agencies are being fair to the people it serves. The schedule for the tour is:
- Abbotsford March 4
- Chilliwack March 5
- Richmond March 6
- Surrey March 7
