Toronto, ON – The Ford government is facing criticism from opposition parties after it was revealed that millions of dollars from Ontario’s $2.5 billion Skills Development Fund (SDF) have been awarded to private companies with close ties to Progressive Conservative donors and insiders.
For the past five years, the SDF has been one of the PC government’s flagship programs, designed to fund job training initiatives for workers across the province. Premier Doug Ford has called the fund “the best investment we’ve ever done,” boasting that it has helped train more than 700,000 Ontarians with practical skills for careers in construction, manufacturing, health care, and other sectors.
But recent disclosures from The Trillium show that major recipients include Pace Law, whose president and CEO Nick Simone was recently appointed by Ford as chair of Metrolinx; King Animal Hospital, a privately owned high-end veterinary facility; and commercial bakery FGF Brands, known for ACE Bakery and Stonefire products. Together, these three recipients received nearly $6 million in grants to support staff training and upskilling.
NDP caucus chair Jeff Burch accused the government of funnelling public funds into the hands of insiders. “Unfortunately, it follows a pattern we’ve become accustomed to seeing, which is that it’s a free-spending government that puts a bunch of money forward, and it somehow finds its way into the pockets of its friends and their businesses,” said Burch.
Ontario Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser was even more direct. “The gravy train continues. It doesn’t stop running, and the only people benefiting are Doug Ford, friends, and rich insiders,” he said. Fraser also argued the money would be better spent strengthening Ontario’s college system, which has faced budget pressures and program cancellations in the wake of changes to international student enrollment rules.
Ministry of Labour records indicate that Pace Law’s funding supported training for 252 people, leading to promotions and new job placements. King Animal Hospital has said its $1.3 million grant is being used to train veterinary technicians to address a critical workforce shortage in animal health care, while FGF Brands reports training 705 workers, 377 of whom self-identified as members of underrepresented groups.
When asked about the apparent political connections of the recipients, Labour Minister David Piccini’s office defended the SDF, calling it an open and competitive program that “delivers rapid, practical training that meets people where they are” and “leads to better jobs with bigger paycheques.” The ministry said the fund has supported 553 organizations and aims to train over one million workers across multiple sectors.
The controversy comes as Ontario’s auditor general is conducting a value-for-money audit of the Skills Development Fund, a review that critics say is urgently needed to ensure accountability and fairness in how public money is being spent.