Who can help
Information on consumer and individual protections
Last updated: January 16, 2024
Page contents
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
- Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA)
- Canadian Children’s Rights Council
- Canadian Judicial Council (CJC)
- Chief Judge – Provincial Court of British Columbia – Complaints
- College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC
- Condo Home Owner’s Association (CHOA)
- Consumer Protection BC
- Legal Aid BC
- Ombudsperson
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC BC)
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) continues to renew the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, government-to-government relationship between Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis; modernize Government of Canada structures to enable Indigenous peoples to build capacity and support their vision of self-determination and lead the Government of Canada’s work in the North.
Phone: 1-800-567-9604
Fax: 1-866-817-3977
Email: infopubs@sac-isc.gc.ca
Service hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm eastern time
canada.ca/en/crown-indigenous-relations-northern-affairs
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) works collaboratively with partners to improve access to high quality services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Our vision is to support and empower Indigenous peoples to independently deliver services and address the socio-economic conditions in their communities.
Phone: 1-800-567-9604
Fax: 1-866-817-3977
Email: infopubs@sac-isc.gc.ca
Service hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm eastern time
canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Better Business Bureau (BBB) has helped people make smarter decisions and is evolving to meet fast changing marketplace needs.
- BBB sets standards for ethical business behavior and monitors compliance. Almost 400,000 Accredited Businesses meet and commit to high standards.
- BBB helps consumers identify trustworthy businesses, and those that aren’t, through more than 4 million BBB Business Reviews.
- BBB sets standards for and evaluates thousands of advertisements each year to ensure that people can trust what advertisers say.
- BBB sets standards for and evaluates the practices of thousands of charities so that donors know where their money is going.
- BBB coaches businesses on ethical behavior and how to build stronger, more trusting relationships with their customers.
Better Business Bureau of Mainland British Columbia
500-1190 Melville Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3W1
Phone hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Phone: 604-682-2711
Toll free: 1-888-803-1222
Fax: 604-681-1544
Email: contactus@mbc.bbb.org
bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-mainland-bc
Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island
220-1175 Cook Street
Victoria BC V8V 4A1
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Phone: 250-386-6348
Toll free: 1-888-803-1222
Fax: 250-386-2367
Email: info@vi.bbb.org
bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-serving-vancouver-island
BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA)
The BC Civil Liberties Association was established in 1962 and is the oldest and most active civil liberties group in Canada. They are funded by the Law Foundation of B.C. and by citizens.
Their mandate is to preserve, defend, maintain and extend civil liberties and human rights in Canada. They achieve their mandate through their Advocacy in Action, Public Policy, Community Education, and Justice programs.
The BCCLA is an autonomous, non-partisan charitable society. Though they strive to work cooperatively with other groups on common causes, they are unaffiliated with any other organization or political group.
Phone: 604-687-2919
Toll free: 855-556-3566
Fax: 604-687-3045
Email: info@bccla.org
Mail: BC Civil Liberties Association, 306-268 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5
Canadian Children’s Rights Council
The Canadian Children’s Rights Council is a non-profit, non-governmental, educational and advocacy organization dedicated to supporting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian children and providing critical analysis of governments’ policies at all levels of government in Canada.
They research and present issues and solutions regarding violations of Canadian children’s rights to every level of government in Canada, as well as, non-government institutions and organizations.
Their role is also to provide information, education and critical analysis of Canadian laws and the implementation of child rights across Canada as expressed in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Phone hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm eastern time
Phone: 416-268-5448
No fax
No public email addresses
Canadian Judicial Council (CJC)
Any member of the public can make a complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council provided the complaint is about judicial conduct, is made in writing, and is about a specific federally appointed judge, the Council will review the matter.
Although the Minister of Justice or a provincial Attorney General can initiate a formal inquiry about a federally appointed judge, most complaints come from the general public.
If a provincial Attorney General or the Minister of Justice of Canada submits a complaint, the Council must appoint an Inquiry Committee to consider whether a recommendation should be made to the Minister of Justice to remove the judge from office. The Inquiry Committee must hold a hearing, normally in public. The Council then considers the report of the Inquiry Committee and makes a recommendation to the Minister of Justice.
In accordance with the complaints process, the Canadian Judicial Council can also initiate an inquiry into a judge’s conduct.
The Canadian Judicial Council has the authority to investigate complaints only about federally appointed judges in Canada. These are judges from federal courts and higher levels of courts in each province.
The Council cannot investigate general complaints about the justice system, the courts, or the judiciary as a whole. It cannot change judicial decisions in court cases, compensate individuals, grant appeals, or address demands for a new trial.
The Canadian Judicial Council does not have jurisdiction over the lower levels of provincial courts, such as those that hear small claims disputes, and some family and criminal matters. If you want to make a complaint about a judge in one of those courts, you must direct your complaint to the judicial council in your province or territory.
The Canadian Judicial Council does not have the authority to investigate complaints against court staff or lawyers. Complaints about court staff should be made to the court administration office of the courthouse in question. Complaints about lawyers should be made to the Law Society in your province or territory.
The Canadian Judicial Council seeks to ensure a fair process when a complaint is made against a judge. Every complaint is considered seriously and conscientiously.
You do not have to be represented by a lawyer if you want to make a complaint about a judge. You do not need to use a special form to make a complaint to the Council. There is no fee charged and no deadline for making a complaint.
The Council requires only that a complaint be:
- in writing;
- about a named, federally appointed judge; and
- about the conduct of a judge and not their decision.
You can write a letter to the Canadian Judicial Council, and send it by regular mail or by email. Your letter should include:
- your name and address;
- the name of the judge you are making a complaint against; and
- a description of the judge’s conduct that you believe was inappropriate.
Phone: 613-288-1566
Fax: 613-288-1575
Email: info@cjc-ccm.ca
Mail: Canadian Judicial Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2P 1P1
Chief Judge – Provincial Court of British Columbia – Complaints
The authority of the Chief Judge regarding complaints is supervisory and disciplinary in nature. It does not include the power to interfere in individual cases, to inquire into individual decisions of judicial officers (except where misconduct may occur during the proceedings), or to review legal errors or erroneous decisions (except where they may amount to incompetence affecting capacity to perform judicial duties).
Many of the letters received by the Chief Judge raise matters that fall outside of the Chief Judge’s mandate. These are normally answered by a letter from the Legal Officer to the complainant, and may suggest appropriate avenues of inquiry.
If a matter appears to raise a conduct issue about a Provincial Court judicial officer or other appropriate issue for examination by the Chief Judge, a file is opened and a response to the allegation is requested from the judicial officer. The complainant is advised that the matter will be considered.
After examination, the Chief Judge (or an Associate Chief Judge acting as Chief Judge for these purposes) decides upon the appropriate course of action. If the judicial officer’s behaviour was deemed appropriate, an explanation will be given. If conduct was determined to be inappropriate, an acknowledgement of the complaint with an expression of apology will be extended to the complainant. A large majority of matters conclude at this stage.
However, if the misconduct gives rise to issues considered by the Chief Judge to warrant further action, the Provincial Court Act requires the Chief Judge to conduct an investigation with respect to the fitness of the judicial officer to perform his or her duties. The Attorney General may also direct the Chief Judge to conduct an investigation.
On completing the investigation, a written report is submitted to the Attorney General setting out the nature of the investigation, the relevant facts, the findings, and any corrective action taken or recommended. The Chief Judge may take any corrective action considered necessary using the powers given under the Provincial Court Act, including holding an inquiry before the Judicial Council. A copy of the investigation report also goes to the judicial officer under investigation, who may elect to have the inquiry heard either by the Judicial Council or by a Supreme Court judge.
In the history of the Court, very few investigations have reached the inquiry stage.
More information on the complaints process may be found in the annual reports of the Provincial Court of B.C.
Three ways to submit a complaint:
1. Using their secure online complaint form. Using the form can help speed up the response time for your complaint.
2. By letter addressed to The Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia and faxed to 604-660-1108.
3. By letter addressed and mailed to:
The Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia
Suite 337 – 800 Hornby Street
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
V6Z 2C5
If you write a letter or fax, it must include:
• your name and mailing address
• the name of the judge or justice you are complaining about (if you know it)
• the date when the conduct you are complaining about happened
• if the conduct involves a court case, the city where the courthouse is located and the court file number (if you know it)
• if the conduct happened outside a courthouse, the place where it happened
• a description of the conduct that concerns you in as much detail as possible.
Anonymous complaints, or complaints without a return address, will not be accepted.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia regulates the practice of medicine under the authority of provincial law. All physicians who practise medicine in the province must be registrants of the College.
The College’s overriding interest is the protection and safety of patients. The role of the College is to ensure physicians meet expected standards of practice and conduct.
Regulation of the medical profession is based on the foundation that the College must act first and foremost in the interest of the public. The primary function of the College is to ensure that physicians are qualified, competent and fit to practise medicine. The College administers processes for responding to complaints from patients and for taking action if a physician is practising in a manner that is incompetent, unethical or illegal. The College also administers a number of quality assurance activities to ensure physicians remain competent throughout their professional lives.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Phone: 604-733-7758
Toll free: 1-800-461-3008
Fax: 604-733-3503
Address: 300–669 Howe Street, Vancouver BC V6C 0B4 Canada
Condo Home Owner’s Association (CHOA)
CHOA is a non-profit association that promotes the understanding of strata property living and the interests of strata property owners by providing advisory services, education, advocacy, publications and resources and support for its members. They actively assist members, and the strata industry, to ensure strata living is a positive experience.
CHOA membership includes strata corporations, individual owners, businesses that serve the strata industry, strata related associations and governmental agencies from all across British Columbia.
With offices located in New Westminster (Lower Mainland, Interior & North), Victoria (Vancouver Island) they are able to assist all types of strata corporations in all areas of B.C.
Lower Mainland, Interior & North Office
Phone: 604-584-2462
Toll free: 1-877-353-2462
Fax: 604-515-9643
Email: info@choa.bc.ca
Address: Suite 200, 65 Richmond Street, New Westminster, BC V3L 5P5
Vancouver Island Office
Phone: 250-384-9088
Toll free: 1-877-353-2462 ext. 6
Email: island@choa.bc.ca
Address: 301-3450 Uptown Boulevard, Victoria BC V8Z 0B9
Consumer Protection BC
Consumer Protection BC promotes a fair marketplace for BC consumers and businesses. Consumer Protection BC was established in 2004 as a not-for-profit corporation to strengthen consumer protection in BC. They operate using a cost recovery model and are the only organization of its kind in Canada.
Consumer Protection BC’s mandate is to:
- Deliver consumer protection services throughout British Columbia;
- Promote fairness and understanding in the marketplace; and
- Enforce consumer protection laws in BC.
They protect consumers and encourage fair business practices by:
- Responding to inquiries and complaints from BC consumers and businesses;
- Educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities;
- Licensing specific industries;
- Inspecting these licensed industries to ensure they are complying with BC’s consumer protection laws;
- Investigating alleged violations of consumer protection laws and following up with progressive enforcement action;
- Providing film content information so the public can make informed viewing choices for themselves and their families; and
- Recommending enhancements to BC’s consumer protection laws to the provincial government.
Hours for calls and emails: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 am, closed on statutory holidays.
Voice mail: 1-888-564-9963, press 1
Fax: 250-920-7181
Contact page: consumerprotectionbc.ca/contact-us
Legal Aid BC
Legal Aid BC is a non-profit organization created by the LSS Act in 1979 to provide legal information, advice, and representation services to people with low incomes. Legal Aid BC’s priority is to serve the interests of people with low incomes. But many of their services are available to all British Columbians.
Legal Aid BC has helped British Columbians with:
- serious family problems,
- child protection matters,
- immigration issues, and
- criminal law issues.
They do this by providing a range of services that help people resolve their legal problems. They determine the services they offer as part of their obligations under the LSS Act. Their services are offered at legal aid locations throughout the province.
Legal aid applications
Greater Vancouver: 604-408-2172
Elsewhere in BC: 1-866-577-2525
General inquiries only
Greater Vancouver: 604-601-6000
Address: 400 – 510 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3A8
Contact page: legalaid.bc.ca/contact-us
Ombudsperson
The Office of the Ombudsperson can help determine whether provincial public authorities have acted fairly and reasonably – and whether their actions and decisions were consistent with relevant legislation, policies and procedures. As an independent statutory office of the provincial legislature, their services are provided free of charge.
What they do:
- Respond to inquiries from the public.
- Provide information, advice and assistance on issues of administrative fairness.
- Generally oversee the administrative actions of public agencies to enhance transparency and accountability.
- Conduct thorough, impartial and independent investigations of complaints.
- Look for fair resolutions and make recommendations to improve administrative practices.
- Consult with, provide reasons, and make recommendations to authorities to improve administrative practices.
- Provide reports to the Legislative Assembly and the people of British Columbia about administrative fairness issues and how they can be remedied.
When conducting thorough and impartial investigations, they:
- Identify issues of administrative unfairness.
- Identify causes of recurring unfairness and how it can be avoided in the future.
- Attempt to resolve complaints through consultation.
- Employ an approach that identifies and addresses the underlying causes of complaints.
- Make recommendations and issue reports that are based on sound analysis of the facts, are consistent with their statutory mandate and apply the principles of natural justice and administrative fairness.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 am, closed on statutory holidays.
Phone: 250-387-5855
Toll free: 1-800-567-3247
Fax: 250-387-0198
Email: info@bcombudsperson.ca
Location: 2nd Floor – 947 Fort St., Victoria, BC
Mailing address: PO Box 9039, Stn Prov Gov’t., Victoria, BC V8W 9A5
Contact page: bcombudsperson.ca/contact
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC BC)
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner provides independent oversight and enforcement of B.C.’s access and privacy laws, including:
- The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FIPPA”), which applies to over 2,900 “public bodies” including ministries, local governments, schools, crown corporations, hospitals, municipal police forces, and more;
- The Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”), which applies to over 380,000 private sector “organizations” including businesses, charities, associations, trade unions and trusts.
The Commissioner has the power to:
- Investigate, mediate and resolve appeals concerning access to information disputes
Phone: 250-387-5629
Toll free: call Service BC 800-663-7867 and request a transfer to 250-387-5629
Fax: 250-387-1696
Email: info@oipc.bc.ca
Location: 4th Floor, 947 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8V 3K3
Mailing address: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, PO Box 9038 Stn. Prov. Govt., Victoria B.C. V8W 9A4
Contact page: oipc.bc.ca/about/contact-us