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Complaint and Advocacy

When you feel that you have been treated unfairly, there may be a service that can help you to resolve your complaint. Each of the following services deals with a specific type of situation. Read the descriptions and visit the websites to see if the service is appropriate for you.


CPLEA Suggested Resources

Not sure where to begin finding answers to your questions. Get started with our suggested resources. See additional resources below for more information.

Alberta Resources

How to resolve a complaint, options for settling your insurance claim, industry conduct complaints and insurance industry information.

Related legal topic(s):

On this site you will find information about Alberta’s Health Advocate and Mental Health Patient Advocate. The Advocates provide education about the Alberta Health Charter and patients' rights set out in the Mental Health Act, and connect people with health and mental health services, programs and resources.  The Advocates listen to any concerns or complaints about health care experiences which may result in an investigation or a referral to the appropriate complaint resolution process.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Health issues

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, mandated to work with vulnerable young people. 

This includes young people receiving or attempting to access services under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act; or who are involved with the youth justice system. 

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Child abuse, Family violence general resources, Legal services, Other legal personnel, Youth criminal justice

This site contains a variety of information pertaining to the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act, the Health Information Act (HIA), the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the Access to Motor Vehicle Information Regulation (AMVIR) and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). The site also provides access to Commissioner’s Orders, Investigation Reports and other publications from the Office. The "Contact Us" section offers information about how to initiate a review or investigation under any of these Acts.

Related legal topic(s): Freedom of information, Privacy

Complaints | How it works. If you have a serious concern, you can file a written complaint with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee. If it meets the criteria, it can be investigated. If you have a serious concern, you can file a written complaint about a:  co-decision-maker, guardian, trustee, personal directive agent. If your complaint meets the criteria, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee can open an investigation.These criteria are set in law. They’re from the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act and the Personal Directives Act.

Related legal topic(s): Guardianship and trusteeship

This office regulates Alberta’s civil enforcement industry. They respond to complaints from the public about civil enforcement agencies and their employees. Guided by the Civil Enforcement Act, this office regulates the civil enforcement industry in alberta. This page has a list of and links to registered civil enforcement agencies in Alberta.

Related legal topic(s): Police

If you’re not satisfied with the services or policies of a municipal or First Nations police service, or the conduct of a police officer, the Police Act gives you the right to complain about it. This page also provides information on how to file a complaint against RCMP, Sheriff, Peace Officer, or First Nations Police Officer.
Related legal topic(s): Police

This online resource from Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security explains the process for making a complaint about police services and the conduct of police officers in the various types of police services operating in Alberta.

Related legal topic(s): Police

The Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) is an independent, non-government agency, responsible for the regulation of the real estate industry. The real estate industry consists of several sectors - residential, commercial, property management, business brokerage and mortgage brokerage. RECA is mandated to protect consumers, and to provide services that enhance and improve the industry and the business of industry members. RECA deals with complaints against industry members within its jurisdiction.

Related legal topic(s): Real estate and home ownership

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) offers landlords and tenants an alternative means of resolving serious disputes outside of court. The Service is designed to be faster, more informal and less expensive than the courts. A tenant or a landlord who has concerns related to an eviction, unpaid rent/utilities, security deposit, damages, repairs or other common disagreements can use the service.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant, Mediation and alternative dispute resolution

The Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre (SKCAC) is a non-profit organization that, together with their partners, takes a leadership role to advance the way our country understands and addresses child abuse. They work with their partner organizations to provide wrap-around services to assess, investigate, intervene, and support survivors of child abuse while bringing offenders to justice.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Child abuse

This online tutorial created by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta  explains what it's like in a criminal courtroom. There are often many people in a courtroom. Knowing who is who, what each person's role is, and what is expected of you as a witness should help you understand what is going on around you.

Related legal topic(s): Criminal law general resources, Legal process, Self-representation

The Utilities Consumer Advocate has a mandate to educate, advocate and mediate for Alberta's residential, farm, and small business energy consumers. The UCA represents Alberta small consumers by acting as the voice of consumers during regulatory proceedings to ensure the lowest regulated rates consistent with reasonable service, and by providing consumers with the information they need to make informed choices about how to purchase electricity and natural gas, based on their individual circumstances. When consumers have exhausted known avenues of issue resolution, the UCA will investigate and mediate concerns with utility companies.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Consumer protection and fraud, Landlord and tenant, Mediation and alternative dispute resolution

The WRC helps Alberta workers through advocacy, a Casework Program, and Public Legal Education. If you need help with an employment issue, the WRC is ready to help.
Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Public legal education organizations, Workers' rights and employment standards

Canada/Federal

Beyond Borders is a national, bilingual, volunteer organization advancing the rights of children everywhere to be free from sexual abuse and exploitation. We are a registered charity without political or religious affiliation.Beyond Borders is the Canadian representative of ECPAT International, a global network of more than 80 groups in 75 countries.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Child abuse, Sexual assault

The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC) is a network of Canadian organizations and individuals who promote respect for the rights of children. Its purpose is to: exchange information; provide public education materials about the Convention on the Rights of the Child; monitor implementation of the Convention in Canada; and engage in dialogue with government officials on child rights issues.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Human rights, International law

The Commission's business is to make the Canadian Human Rights Act work for the benefit of all Canadians. There are three main aspects to its work: To provide effective and timely means for resolving individual complaints; To promote knowledge of human rights in Canada and to encourage people to follow principles of equality; and to help reduce barriers to equality in employment and access to services. Their website includes sections with publications and frequently asked questions.The Commission provides dispute resolution services in cases of alleged discrimination by federally regulated organizations, including employers, unions and service providers. This online resource addresses issues such as alternative dispute resolution and the dispute resolution process.

Related legal topic(s): Federal government departments, Human rights, Mediation and alternative dispute resolution

The Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) is a program where disputes between consumers and vehicle manufacturers about alleged manufacturing defects or implementation of the manufacturers' new vehicle warranty can be put before a neutral third party (arbitrator) for resolution. Links to an overview of the CAMVAP arbitration process. From the homepage, an introduction to CAMVAP is available in several languages.

Related legal topic(s): Consumer protection and fraud, Driving, Mediation and alternative dispute resolution

This website is produced by the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA), an Ontario-based non profit human rights organization that has spent the past 20 years challenging the systemic barriers and discrimination that contribute to homelessness and housing insecurity. The goal of this website is to provide housing workers and advocates across Canada with information and tools to enable them to overcome - using a human rights framework - the barriers that keep people from accessing and retaining adequate housing.
Related legal topic(s): Affordable housing, Homelessness, Human rights

CERA’s Women’s Program was established in early 2000 to address low-income women’s experiences of inequality and discrimination in housing in Canada. The Women’s Program undertakes advocacy, litigation support, networking and research aimed at investigating and addressing the economic and social conditions that contribute to women’s inequality in housing.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Affordable housing, AIDS/HIV, Homelessness, Human rights, Poverty

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