Viens Commission: Ombudsman fears setback for Indigenous rights – CityNews Montreal

November 6, 2025

Quebec’s Ombudsman fears setbacks in respecting the rights of First Nations and Inuit in public services.

Marc-André Dowd shared his concerns in a presentation on Thursday on the status of the implementation of the calls to action of the Commission of Inquiry on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Quebec (CERP), also known as the Viens Commission.

“Two years after the publication of our first follow-up report, we note that the shortcomings remain a concern. In addition, the current context of budgetary restrictions and the non-renewal of certain funding compromise several achievements and may even lead to setbacks,” he lamented.

The document describes the progress made and the challenges that remain in four areas: cultural security, language rights, self-determination, and global issues