Farewell Address from the Past President

June 9, 2025

Nadine Mailloux
Montreal Ombudsman

Dear FCO Friends,

It's hard to find the right words to close such a significant chapter in my life. Indeed, after ten years of involvement with FCO, four of which as President, I now feel a mixture of gratitude, pride and emotion.

FCO has been much more than a professional commitment. It has been a school of life, a place to anchor myself, a place where I have grown, learned, sometimes doubted, but always moved forward, supported by an exceptional community. Colleagues became friends, debates became convictions, and values became beacons.

To be an ombudsman is to carry the voice of those who are not always heard. It means defending fairness, even when it's difficult. It means believing, deeply, that integrity, independence and transparency are not distant ideals, but indispensable foundations. FCO has enabled me to live these principles on a daily basis, to embody them, and to pass them on.

I'll fondly remember the looks of complicity around a table or a TEAMS, when we knew we were doing something that mattered. Those memories will stay with me forever.

I'm thinking of the many events we've attended, where we've remade the ombudsman's world through informal discussions, panels, training sessions, but also dinners and coffees. I quickly realized that our work is not limited to reports and recommendations: it lives in the bonds we forge, in the convictions we share, in moments of authenticity.

I'm also thinking of the colleagues who have confided in me that they drew some of their admirable courage from the support of FCO to defend the autonomy of their office, sometimes in a very difficult context. This kind of testimony reminds me why we do what we do.

To be an ombudsman is to bear an immense responsibility. It means being both a beacon and a mirror. It means embodying principles such as impartiality, independence and transparency - not as slogans, but as living, demanding, sometimes uncomfortable, but always essential commitments. It's imperative to preserve what sets us apart from all other governance mechanisms, to remain ambitious at all costs for this sometimes unloved but more regularly simply misunderstood function. Let's think big, let's think far, and let's stay true to this exceptional role.

FCO allowed me to grow in this posture. It offered me a space to learn, to doubt, to affirm. It has also offered me a community - you - that has supported, inspired and challenged me.

I leave the presidency with confidence. Confidence in the next generation, in the strength of our network, in the ever-renewed relevance of our mission. And, above all, with immense gratitude.

I leave the presidency with a full heart. Full of gratefulness to all those who have accompanied, supported and challenged me. Filled with hope too, because I know that FCO will continue to shine, carried by committed and inspiring members.

As the poet Maya Angelou so rightly said:

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, they'll forget what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel.”

That's exactly what I take away from this adventure: the human bonds, the emotions shared, and the impact we made together.

Craig, Sophie, Pierre, Collette, Jill, Tom, Ron, Justine, Carolyn, Tracy, as I said to each of you at our last meeting, you have been formidable colleagues, and you will remain builders and visionaries for me. I'm also thinking of Nora Pharrell, Paul Dubé, Johanne Savard, Howard Sapers, Lori Ciani, Marlene Chumak and so many others. It has been a privilege to serve our community alongside you. Fortunately, my work as Ombudsman de Montréal will give me the opportunity to see you again.

Thank you for your trust, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for this unforgettable human and professional adventure. Long live FCO!

Nadine Mailloux
Past President