HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL OF ONTARIO

B E T W E E N:

Brian Ball and the Complainants Listed on Schedule “A” and Schedule “B”

Complainants

-and-

Ontario Human Rights Commission

Commission

-and-

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario as Represented by the Minister of Community and Social Services

Respondent

INterim DECISION

Adjudicator: David A. Wright

Date: September 22, 2008

Citation: 2008 HRTO 88

Indexed as: Ball v. Ontario (Community and Social Services)

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario 655 Bay Street, 14th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 2A3 Phone (416) 314-8419 Fax (416) 314-8743 Toll free 1-866-598-0322 TTY (416) 314-2379 / (toll free) 1-800-424-1168 E-mail HRTO.Registrar-Transition@ontario.ca Website www.hrto.ca WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS BY

Randy King, Complainant ) On His Own Behalf

I am greatly concerned, as I believe the other original complainants in this case must be, about the delay which will ensue as a result of this decision.

Speaking with certainty for myself, I agreed to the original proposals as et out in the Initial Case Conference with the understanding that strict timelines would be adhered to.

The Special Dietary Allowance, in my particular case, was removed as part of my ODSP entitlement almost one year ago.

I had expected, and reasonably so, that Hearings would commence in the Spring of 2009.

With the new Interim Decision, and other potential delays, we are likely to be looking at the commencement of Hearings essentially one year from now.

This will mean I will have been without this Allownace for two years by then.

The removal of the Special Dietary Allownace has had a profound impact on my life, as I am sure it has had on the lives of the other original complainants. As well as the physical effects of having the Allowance taken from them, many of the Complainants have suffered, and will suffer longer now, from psychological effects as well.

Some sources believe about one-half of ODSP recipients are disabled due to psychiatric disabilites, including anxiety disorders, and this Interim Decision will cause them further psychological harm as they must now wait even longer for a resolution to this matter.

I am writing you this letter by e-mail but I request that you continue to respond to me through my mailing address as listed in your office and the top of this letter.

I am concerned about my ability to contact all of the parties about this letter as many of them have mailing addresses (or long-distance phone numbers) and this would mean substantial costs for me financially.I realise you may share this letter with the parties.

[2] The Tribunal advises Mr. King and the other complainants that the new schedule set out in the interim decision necessitated the cancellation of only two hearing dates in February and 11 hearing dates were added in June to compensate. Hearing dates have been scheduled throughout March, April, May and June of 2009 and that the Tribunal will make strong efforts to ensure that the hearing is concluded by the last scheduled date, June 26, 2009.

[3] The Tribunal is committed to fairness, transparency, timeliness and the opportunity to be heard. Procedural decisions in these exceptional cases, as in all other cases, require a balancing of various factors, including the interests of all the parties, fairness and the administration of justice. The Tribunal will continue to take into account the concerns of Mr. King, which are similar to those expressed by him and other complainants during the initial case conference, in any procedural decisions it makes.

Dated at Toronto, this 22nd day of September, 2008

David A. Wright

Vice-Chair

Schedule “A”: Complaints Referred January 29, 2008

COMPLAINANT REPRESENTATIVE

Ball, Brian – 1443-07 Glenda Devlin
Bayne, Sandra –1444-07 David Balderston
Belcourt, Lisa – 1445-07 Nora Simpson
Bell, Linda – 1446-07 Seana Moorhead
Bradshaw-Clark, Judy – 1447-07 Nora Simpson
Buklis, Arlene – 1448-07 Norma MacKenzie
Buklis, John – 1449-07 Norma MacKenzie
Butts, Ruth – 1450-07 Jessica S. Michael
Caissie, Rita –1451-07 Nora Simpson
Carriere, Debbie – 1452-07 Jessica S. Michael
Caster, Diane – 1453-07 Anna Zachariah
Connors, Devon by his litigation

guardian John Connors – 1454-07 Jessica S. Michael

Connors, Drew by his litigation

guardian John Connors – 1455-07 Jessica S. Michael

Connors, John – 1456-07 Jessica S. Michael
Cook, Cassandra – 1457-07 Norma MacKenzie
Costello, John H. – 1458-07 Vicki Doidge
Courville, Diane – 1459-07 Stuart Bailey
Cranstone, Steven by his litigation

guardian Irene Cranstone – 1460-07 Colleen Sym

Crocker, Doral – 1461-07 Jessica S. Michael
Dawe, Karen – 1462-07
Donald, Linda C. – 1463-07
Dupont, Gail – 1464-07
Edison, Laura – 1465-07 Jessica S. Michael
Edwards, Terry – 1466-07
Fleming, Robert – 1467-07 Nora Simpson
Frederick, Patricia Mary – 1468-07 Carl Symondson
Glazewski, Dona – 1469-07 Nora Simpson
Gray, Petrona – 1470-07 Nora Simpson
Hampel, Anne – 1471-07 Norma MacKenzie
Hanna, Judy – 1472-07
Hartwick, Elsie – 1473-07 Jessica S. Michael
Hedrich, Glenn V. – 1474-07
Heyer, Kristi – 1475-07 Carl Symondson
Hilborn, Gerald – 1476-07
Hillier, Lanny - 1477-07 Carl Symondson
Hird, Donna – 1478-07 Nora Simpson
Hormuz, Sara – 1479-07
Hunchuck, Suzanne – 1480-07
Ibbotson, Brenda – 1481-07 Jessica S. Michael
King, Randy – 1482-07
LaFranchise, June – 1483-07
Lawrence, Mary – 1484-07 Deborah Kehler
LeFebvre, Diane – 1485-07 Georgina Watts
Locke, Richard – 1486-07 Nora Simpson
Lutynski, Judy – 1487-07 Jessica S. Michael
MacDonald, Debbie – 1488-07
MacDonald, John by his litigation

guardian Debbie MacDonald – 1489-07

Mahaney, Margaret - 1490-07 Nora Simpson
Manke, Carole – 1491-07
Marin, Anne – 1492-07 Laura J. Hunter
Martel, Robert – 1493-07 Stuart Bailey
McNeil, Neil – 1494-07 Jessica S. Michael
Molto, Vanessa – 1495-07 Nora Simpson
Nelson, Andrea – 1496-07
Ninni, Angela – 1497-07 Nora Simpson
Pear, Rosalynn – 1498-07 Deborah Kehler
Penner, Sandra – 1499-07 Stuart Bailey
Petit, Jamie – 1500-07 Laura J. Hunter
Pietrobon, Jessica by her litigation

guardian Rosemary Pietrobon – 1501-07 Vicki Doidge

Ray, Patricia – 1502-07
Remus, Colleen – 1503-07 Laura J. Hunter
Ricker, Shawn – 1504-07 Seana Moorhead
Romano, Clara – 1505-07 Seana Moorhead
Sauve, Julie – 1506-07 Susan Campbell
Scrutton, Amy – 1507-07 Jessica S. Michael
Seguin, Raymond – 1508-07 Stuart Bailey
Sizer, Doug – 1509-07 Jessica S. Michael
Smith-Reeve, Wendy – 1510-07 Andrew C. Bolter
Snow, Clarence – 1511-07 David Balderston
Stapley, Francis – 1512-07 Jessica S. Michael
Tessier, Victor – 1513-07 Stuart Bailey
Tilling, Randy – 1514-07 Nora Simpson
Tursa, Ella – 1515-07
Vermeulen, Angela – 1516-07 Nora Simpson
Wickham, Deborah – 1517-07
Wray, Lorena – 1518-07 Jessica S. Michael
Yurke, Gregory – 1519-07

Schedule “B”: Complaints Referred August 11, 2008

Abbs, David –1656-08
Addison, Sylvan – 1657-08
Briggs, Bonitta – 1658-8-08
Brown, Marie – 1659-08
Burt, Pansy Yvonne – 1660-08
Cason, Wesley – 1661-08
Cotterell, Brian – 1662-08
Essery, Kathy – 1663-08
Faustina, Murray -- 1664-08
Fenwick, Victoria –1665-08
Francis, Michael – 1666-08
Froude, Eric – 1667-08
Fujs, David – 1668-08
Graham, Michael – 1669-08
Hoffman, Jennifer – 1670-08
Hoffman, Samantha – 1671-08
Hylton, Noel – 1672-08
Jackson, John – 1673-08
Kersteins, Katherine – 1674-08
Klemm, Bonnie – 1675-08
Landry, James – 1676-08
Lesser, Laura – 1677-08
Monteath, Stephen – 1678-08
Nava, Emanuel – 1679-08
Priolo, Carmin – 1680-08
Rose, Eva – 1681-08
Salm, Donna – 1682-08
Santdonato, Filippo – 1683-08
Small, Brenda – 1684-08
Smart, Ann – 1685-08
Stewart, Chuck – 1686-08
Stewart, John – 1687-08
Townsend, Peter – 1688-08
Vanegas, Pedro – 1689-08
Walker, Ed – 1690-08
Wareham, Janice – 1691-08
Williams, Terrance – 1692-08

Ball v. Ontario (Community and Social Services), 2008 HRTO 88

Case Summary

Dated at Toronto, this 22nd day of September, 2008