THE Legislative Assembly recommended on Tuesday that Sandy Hermiston be appointed as B.C.’s ombudsperson.
The legislative assembly’s recommendation follows the unanimous recommendation of Hermiston by a parliamentary committee. The committee, made up of members of government and opposition caucuses, conducted a comprehensive search for British Columbia’s next ombudsperson. Hermiston will begin her term on January 31, 2026, following appointment by the lieutenant governor.
“The committee agreed that Sandy Hermiston’s experience as the first ombudsperson for both the Cayman Islands and Prince Edward Island makes her exceptionally well-equipped to take on the role of British Columbia’s ombudsperson,” said Janet Routledge, chair of the committee. “Members appreciated her dedication to building trust through relationship building and community outreach and her practical, solution-focused approach.”
Linda Hepner, deputy chair of the committee, said: “Sandy Hermiston brings extensive experience overseeing complex and sensitive investigations and is widely respected both nationally and internationally, a reputation that led to her role as co-director of an advanced ombuds course at Osgoode Hall. Ms. Hermiston is deeply committed to integrity and transparency, and we are confident she will continue to promote fairness in government services.”
Committee members expressed their gratitude to Jay Chalke, KC, for his advocacy and steadfast commitment to public service as ombudsperson over the past 10 years.
Hermiston has extensive experience in ombuds practice and whistleblower protection. In 2014, she began to focus on these aspects of the law when she became General Counsel to the Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner in Alberta. From there, she was appointed as the first Ombudsman of the Cayman Islands in 2017 where she was responsible for consolidating the existing Office of the Information Commissioner and Office of the Complaints Commissioner. In that role, she implemented the new data protection legislation, a police conduct complaints system, and a whistleblower protection regime.
In February 2022, Hermiston was appointed the first Ombudsperson and Public Interest Disclosure Commissioner for Prince Edward Island. OmbudsPEI has already had a significant impact on improving fairness in public services on the island. The office’s innovative work in resolving complaints informally and writing succinct investigation reports has attracted national attention.
Hermiston is co-course director at Osgoode Hall Law School’s Professional Development Certificate in Advanced Issues in Ombuds Practice where she shares her expertise in ombuds work with national and international participants. She is also a regular speaker at national conferences for ombuds practice.
She has more than 35 years of experience as a lawyer, most of which has been spent in the public service. Prior to her ombuds work, she served as General Counsel to an administrative tribunal in Alberta where she gained expertise in administrative law and procedural fairness appearing at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, in applications for judicial review.
Hermiston possesses a broad understanding and knowledge of public administration as well as government structures and functions having worked in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, the Cayman Islands, and Prince Edward Island.
In her private life, Hermiston spent 20 years volunteering with parasport organizations provincially, nationally and internationally. She received volunteer recognition from Sport Alberta in 2017 and was inducted into the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association’s Hall of Fame as a builder in 2022.
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The committee’s recommendation is included in a report available here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/
