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Issue with City staff or facility

Submit a complaint to the City

The City of Ottawa is committed to continuous organizational improvement in an environment where all complaints are dealt with fairly in a respectful, transparent fashion, as quickly as possible.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction related to a City of Ottawa program, service, facility, or staff member, where a citizen believes that the City has not provided a service experience to the customer’s satisfaction at the point of service delivery and a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.

A complaint is distinct from:

  • Request for Service:  A request made to the City on behalf of a citizen for a specific service, or to notify the City that a scheduled service was not provided on time.  Examples include:
    • Requesting that the City repair a street surface
    • Reporting a burnt out street light
    • Notifying the City of a missed garbage collection
    • Alerting the City of no water service
    • Report a bylaw or parking infraction
  • Claim to the City: A request for compensation if you believe the City is legally responsible for a bodily injury or property damage you have experienced. Typical claims include requests for compensation for: 
    • Damage to cars due to potholes
    • Injuries from slipping on a sidewalk
    • Foundation damage from City trees
  • Disputing Parking Tickets and other Provincial Offences Act (POA) Fines: A request to review a parking ticket or other POA ticket, pursuant to the available legal options under the Provincial Offences Act. These options are detailed on the back of issued tickets as well as the aforementioned City of Ottawa website.
  • Enquiry: A general or specific request for information regarding a City of Ottawa product or service made by a citizen that is resolved at the point of service delivery.
  • Compliment: An expression of approval for a City of Ottawa service, staff member, program, product or process. 
  • Suggestion:  An idea submitted to the City of Ottawa by a customer with the aim of improving services, programs, products or processes.

Submitting a Complaint

In order to submit a formal complaint to the City, you will be asked to provide the following information:

  • Details of what happened
  • Where did this happen?  Is it within the City’s area of responsibility?
  • When?
  • Who was involved?
  • What was said or done?
  • What kind of resolution is being sought?
  • Contact details of the complainant

All complaints will be dealt with in a confidential manner according to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.  Information will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the Act.  More information on the Act is available on our website.

Ready to submit a complaint?

Please select the appropriate department:

Other City Departments

Community & Social Services – Ontario Works, Child Care, Emergency Shelters, Affordable Housing

Finance Services – Property Tax & Water Accounts, Collections

Emergency & Protective Services – By-law Services, Ottawa Fire, Office of Emergency Management

Office of the City Clerk – French Language Services, Accessibility Office, Elections Office, Access to Information, City of Ottawa Archives, Protocol, Council and Committee meetings

Planning, Infrastructure & Economic Development – Building Permits, Plan Approvals, Zoning, Development Reviews, Business Improvement Areas, Design & Construction of City Infrastructure, Economic Development, Corporate Real Estate

Public Works & Environmental Services --   Road Maintenance, Park Maintenance, Recycling & Garbage Collection, Drinking Water Services, Wastewater Services

Recreation, Cultural & Facility Services – Recreation Programs, Museums, Arts, Hall & Sports Fields Rentals, City Building Maintenance

Innovative Client Services--  3-1-1 Contact Centre, ottawa.ca, Client Service Centres, Courthouse & Provincial Offences, Media Relations, News Releases, Media Advisories, Job Postings, Legal Services, Claims, Fleet Services, Procurement

Transportation Services – OC Transpo, Para Transpo, Traffic Signs, Traffic Signals, Traffic Regulations, Light Rail Construction & Design

Appeal a complaint resolution

Appeals

Individuals not satisfied with the disposition of a resolution may be eligible for an appeal. To be eligible for an appeal, individuals:

  1. must have a complaint registered with the City of Ottawa,
  2. must have received a response to their original complaint,
  3. shall submit an appeal, in writing within 10 business days from the date the resolution was received. The application will be reviewed by the Office of the Director, ServiceOttawa, Innovative Client Services.

Individuals who do not have a complaint registered with the City of Ottawa are not eligible for an appeal. A complaint can be registered by using the appropriate forms above, or by calling 3-1-1. Appeals for concerns that have not been reported will be redirected to the appropriate department for review.

Application

Before you proceed with your Appeal a Resolution application, please ensure to have the following information:

  • name of the department involved with your complaint
  • name of the employee who handled your complaint
  • copy of your original complaint, your resolution and any other pertinent written documentation.
  1. To appeal your complaint’s resolution, submit a completed Appeal a Resolution application to the Office of the Director, ServiceOttawa, Innovative Client Services.
  2. If your complaint was submitted directly to the department, you will be required to attach copies of your original complaint, including any subsequent responses to your application.
  3. The Office of the Director, ServiceOttawa, shall review all relevant information along with the appeal within 10 business days from the date the appeal was received and may confirm, rescind or amend the resolution. The Office of the Director’s, ServiceOttawa, Innovative Client Services, decision is final.
  4. In the event that the office of the Director, ServiceOttawa, issued the complaint resolution, the Director, City Manager’s Office shall review all relevant information along with the appeal within 10 business days from the date the resolution was issued and may confirm, rescind or amend the resolution. The Director’s, City Manager’s Office, decision is final.
  5. Where the issue cannot be resolved through the Corporate Complaints Handling Policy, the individual may submit a complaint to the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman.

Begin your Appeal a Resolution application.

Service request feedback - tell us how we did

Please participate in the City of Ottawa Client Satisfaction Survey. Your feedback on your recent interaction with the City of Ottawa’s Service Ottawa Department is greatly appreciated.

The survey will only take 2-3 minutes to complete. Your feedback will be used for quality assurance purposes only and no personal identifiers will be disclosed or used. All responses will be treated in a confidential manner.

Start survey

Complaints regarding French language services

French Language Services (FLS), which reports to the Office of the City Clerk, is responsible for managing complaints regarding the quality of service delivery in French at the City of Ottawa.

By managing complaints regarding French language services, FLS is able to:

  • Assist City departments in improving the delivery of quality French language services to residents and staff
  • Better address the needs and concerns of residents and staff
  • Collaborate with departments to ensure they take the measures necessary to prevent the recurrence of issues

Who may lodge a complaint?

Residents or employees who feel that there was a lack in the delivery of services in French on the part of the City can submit a complaint.

How to lodge a complaint?

Follow this direct link to the online form for complaints regarding French Language Services.

Before submitting a complaint, please review the guidelines on complaints to the City.  The online form is also located within the Office of the City Clerk section. 

For additional information, please contact French Language Services at 613-580-2424, ext. 21000.

Complaints regarding Building Code Services

Building Code Services (BCS) is part of Planning Services, reporting to the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department.

BCS is the regulatory authority for building construction for the City, and is responsible for Ontario Building Code regulation and enforcement as well as municipal addressing, permanent signs on private property, compli­ance reports and releases of agreements. BCS is led by the City’s Chief Building Official, who has various powers and duties under the Building Code Act, 1992 (the Act).

Under Subsection 3(2) of the Act, City Council is required to appoint a Chief Building Official as well as any Inspectors needed to enforce the Act. Subsection 7.1(1) of the Act further requires Council to establish and enforce a code of conduct for the Chief Building Official and Inspectors.

As described below in more detail, Council has adopted the City of Ottawa’s Employee Code of Conduct as the mandatory code of conduct for the Chief Building Official and Inspectors.

Under Subsection 7.1(2) of the Act, the purposes of the code of conduct for the Chief Building Official and Inspectors are as follows:

  1. To promote appropriate standards of behaviour and enforcement actions by the Chief Building Official and Inspectors in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty under the Act or the Building Code.
  2. To prevent practices which may constitute an abuse of power, including unethical or illegal practices, by the Chief Building Official and inspectors in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty under the Act or the Building Code.
  3. To promote appropriate standards of honesty and integrity in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty under the Act or the Building Code by the Chief Building Official and Inspectors.

In addition, Subsection 7.1(4) of the Act provides that the City must “ensure that the code of conduct is brought to the attention of the public.”

In accordance with the statutory provisions set out above, Ottawa City Council on June 22, 2005, approved the following:

  • The adoption of the City of Ottawa Employee Code of Conduct as the Code of Conduct applicable for the City’s Chief Building Official and all Building Officials appointed to enforce the Building Code Act and the Building Code, as required by the Act; and
  • The posting of the Code of Conduct on the City’s web page as constituting public notice of such.

Who may lodge a complaint?

Residents or employees who believe the City’s Chief Building Official and/or Inspectors contravened the Employee Code of Conduct in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty under the Building Code Act, 1992 or the Ontario Building Code can submit a complaint.

How to lodge a complaint?

Follow this direct link to the online form for complaints regarding Building Code Services .

Before submitting a complaint, please review the guidelines on complaints to the City.