Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini is facing scrutiny after being photographed in premium Toronto Maple Leafs seats with a director of a company that later received $7.5 million in government funding through his ministry — and after attending the Paris wedding of the firm’s lobbyist.
On January 17, 2023, while serving as environment minister, Piccini was spotted in front-row “glass seats” at Scotiabank Arena alongside Peter Zakarow, a director of Keel Digital Solutions, during a Leafs game against the Florida Panthers. Months later, as labour minister, Piccini’s office approved $7.5 million in Skills Development Fund (SDF) grants to Keel’s subsidiary, Get A-Head, for an AI-driven peer support training program for police mental health.
Maple Leafs tickets in that section retail for between $500 and $1,500 per seat. Photos and videos from the game show Piccini and Zakarow celebrating together behind the glass as William Nylander scored the overtime winner.
Piccini’s office said the minister is “a lifelong sports fan who purchases his own tickets,” and described his attendance at lobbyist Michael Rudderham’s wedding in Paris last weekend as part of a “long-planned private family trip,” with all expenses personally covered. Rudderham is Keel’s registered lobbyist and has represented Get A-Head since January 2022.
Controversy deepened after Piccini acknowledged in a radio interview that the funded project received a “lower score” during the ministry’s evaluation process but was approved because it aligned with “government priorities.” Ministry records show Keel received two SDF grants — $2.7 million and $4.8 million — despite lower evaluation scores.
A recent auditor general’s report found that only 46% of successful SDF applications were rated “high” by ministry officials. The remaining 54% went to medium- and low-scoring projects, with one “poor” application funded.
Zakarow, who has been involved with Keel since January 2022, officially joined its board in February 2024, after a stint on the LCBO board appointed by Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet.
The incident adds to questions about the transparency and selection criteria of Ontario’s $1.3-billion Skills Development Fund. Critics have noted that hundreds of high-scoring applications were rejected while lower-ranked projects — including Keel’s — were approved by ministerial discretion.
Piccini has not specified how Get A-Head’s project was ranked, but maintained that the funding supports crucial mental health initiatives for first responders.