The Alberta Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner Supports National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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The Alberta Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner’s offices will be taking time this September 30, 2021, to reflect on the tragic history of residential schools and all those affected.   Marianne Ryan, the Alberta Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner will be closing her offices on September 30th in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Her staff will be encouraged to commemorate the day and reflect on how the offices may continually…

Keyano College backs whistleblowers to expose wrongdoing by former President and CEO

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The Alberta Public Interest Commissioner releases her report into an investigation of wrongdoing involving the former President and CEO of Keyano College. The Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act gives public sector employees within provincial public institutions the ability to report wrongdoing confidentially, and to be protected from reprisal for doing so. Using the Act,…

Whistleblower Awareness Day

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On March 24, 2021, organizations in various Canadian provinces working to achieve greater integrity in public services are proud to announce the creation of Whistleblower Awareness Day in order to raise public awareness of the role of whistleblowers in our society, as well as the awareness of the staff of government departments and agencies. The…

Submission of Alberta’s Public Interest Commissioner to the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship

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22 Recommendations Made to Substantially Improve Alberta’s Whistleblower Protection Act The following document is a Review of the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act. It is a submission of Alberta’s Public Interest Commissioner to the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship, the committee assigned responsibility to review the  Whistleblower Protection Act and prepare a report including…

Whistleblowers Have a Safe Avenue to Report Wrongdoing in Alberta

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This open letter by Public Interest Commissioner, Marianne Ryan first appeared in the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald on December 18, 2020. Marianne Ryan accepted a five-year appointment as Alberta’s second Public Interest Commissioner and ninth Ombudsman in the summer of 2017.    Whistleblowing legislation can only work when public servants have confidence they may…

Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act undergoes legislative review

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The second scheduled review of the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act (the Act) is underway in accordance with the mandate of the Alberta Legislature to ensure the law continues to meet the evolving needs of Albertans. The general purpose of whistleblower protection legislation is to create safe environments for employees to bring forth allegations…

Advice for managing complaints under the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act (PIDA) relating to the COVID-19 public health emergency

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A public health emergency was declared on March 17, 2020, as a result of pandemic COVID-19. Designated officers may receive complaints relating to the public health emergency which may fit into a category of “wrongdoing” under PIDA; however, the complaint reporting and investigation process under PIDA was not intended to be a mechanism for reporting…