Provided guidance on navigating a concern outside our jurisdiction 

What happened

Luca contacted our office with concerns about the judging procedures at a Toronto festival run by an independent non-profit organization. His granddaughter was initially announced as the winner but was later tied for first place. He claimed this caused her emotional and financial stress.

What we did

We contacted the Economic Development & Culture (EDC) division for more information about the City’s role in the festival. The EDC Cultural Events Manager explained that the City only plays a role if the complaint relates to funding; otherwise, the City does not get involved in the festival’s operations. We gathered information about the festival’s complaints process and obtained the organizer’s contact information.

We contacted Luca to explain the steps we had taken and clarified the City’s limited role in this matter. During our conversation, Luca expressed additional concerns about the festival’s use of City funds. We explained our process for handling such concerns and informed him that he would need to bring the complaint to EDC and get a final response before bringing his complaint to our office. At his request, we followed up with an email providing the relevant contact information and outlined the next steps for submitting a funding-related complaint
to EDC.

The result

We informed Luca of the City’s role and our jurisdiction regarding the festival’s judging procedures. While his funding-related concerns were premature to our office, we provided him with the necessary information to pursue this route if he chose to.

Why this matters

Even when a complaint falls outside our jurisdiction, we take steps to help residents navigate the appropriate processes. We help to clarify the City’s role and connect people with the right resources.