Make a Complaint

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman reviews complaints involving the administration of legislation and policy in the delivery of programs and services by municipal and provincial government departments, agencies, boards, and commissions. Our role is to ensure that legislation, policies, and procedures are implemented in an administratively fair manner by those government entities. Please note, we do not have jurisdiction over the actions and decisions of elected officials.

Before our office investigates a complaint, we encourage people to engage in available complaint resolution processes. This provides the government body involved in the complaint the opportunity to be made aware of the concerns and address them directly.

If you have not already done so, please reach out to the department, municipal unit, agency, board, or commission to try and resolve your concern through any existing internal complaint or appeal processes.

If you have already attempted to resolve your concern with the provincial or municipal government and still have concerns, or if you have not received a response from the government body, please complete our online Complaint Form.

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman does not have the authority to address matters involving the Government of Canada or federal government complaints.

There are several offices that can assist with complaints involving federal government departments, including the Office of the Taxpayers Ombudsman, Canada Post Ombudsman, Office of Client Satisfaction, Office of the Correctional Investigator and Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime.

For assistance please call the Government of Canada at 1-800-O Canada or 1-800-622-6232.

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman does not have the authority to address complaints involving financial institutions.

Please contact your financial institution to learn more about their complaint process and whether they have an internal ombudsman.

You can also contact the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments by telephone at 1-888-935-6520 or through their website at www.osbi.ca

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman does not have the authority to address complaints involving private insurance companies. If you are unable to resolve your concerns through the insurance company’s internal complaint process, the Nova Scotia Superintendent of Insurance may be able to assist you. They can be reached by phone at 902-424-6331.

You can also reach out to the General Insurance OmbudService for complaints involving home, auto, and business insurance at 1-877-225-0446 or through their website at giocanada.org

For complaints involving life and health insurance, please contact the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance at 1-888-295-8112 or through their website at olhi.ca

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman does not have the authority to address complaints involving private businesses and corporations, including Nova Scotia Power.

To make a complaint about a business licensed by Service Nova Scotia, please call 1-800-670-4357. If the business is not licensed by Service Nova Scotia, you can contact the Better Business Bureau at 1-877-663-2363.

If you have a complaint involving Nova Scotia Power you can find out about their complaint process at Complaint About an Electric Utility | Nova Scotia Energy and Regulatory Boards Tribunal.

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman cannot provide legal advice.

For legal assistance, please contact the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia at 1-800-665-9779 or the Nova Scotia Legal Aid office near you. Please see their website at www.nslegalaid.ca for a listing of their offices or call 1-877-420-6578

The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman reviews complaints involving the administration of legislation and policy in the delivery of programs and services by municipal and provincial government departments, agencies, boards, and commissions. Our role is to ensure that legislation, policies, and procedures are implemented in an administratively fair manner by those government entities.

Before our office investigates a complaint, we encourage people to engage in available complaint resolution processes. This provides the government body involved in the complaint the opportunity to be made aware of the concerns and address them directly.

If you haven’t already done so, please reach out to the government body and engage in any available avenues of appeal. If you have escalated your concerns and they have not been resolved, or if you did not receive a response, please fill out our online Complaint Form.