Fiona Crean was appointed in November 2008 by the Toronto City Council as Toronto's first Ombudsman. The Office began to offer services on April 6, 2009.
Ms. Crean brings to this position decades of professional experience dedicated to fairness in government, human rights and social justice. She has been a leader in promoting access and equity.
Prior to taking on this new post, Fiona was the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, responsible for addressing systemic racism and sexism, and managing significant organizational and culture change. She established the Office of Ombudsman for York University and was Executive Director of the Ontario Ombudsman's Office. She also worked for a number of years at the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Fiona has done international development work for governments and community organizations in Central and South America, Eastern Europe and southern Africa. She has worked extensively in First Nations and Inuit communities in Canada.
This background has given her significant experience in conflict resolution, effective and accessible service delivery, the advancement of human rights, and the promotion of accountability and responsiveness by government.
Fiona has been an active volunteer and served on the boards of a number of not-for-profit organizations. She is multilingual and lives in downtown Toronto.
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