Critics claim skills development fund is ‘circular economy’ of tax dollars, donations
In the fall of 2023, as Premier Doug Ford looked to promote Ontario-based manufacturing, he toured a GTA industrial bakery that produces popular household brands such as Ace baguettes and Stonefire flatbreads.
“They call themselves the technology company that bakes. I call them the NASA of food production,” the premier declared in a video posted on his YouTube page.
Shortly after, the company enlisted the help of Rubicon Strategies, whose owner, Kory Teneycke, has also served as the election campaign manager for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, looking to secure provincial funding.
“Assist FGF Brands Inc. with application to the Ontario Skills Development Fund program to upskill and train FGF’s diverse workforce,” the registration in October 2023 stated.
According to provincial records, while the company was unsuccessful during the initial three rounds of funding, its lobbying efforts eventually paid off.
In September 2025, FGF Brands was listed as one of dozens of companies that received funding from the Skills Development Fund’s training stream, which the company said would be used for training and retraining a high-performance organization.
While government records show the company received $1.064 million from Ontario taxpayers, Rubicon Strategies indicated the company received $1.25 million from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development in the previous fiscal year, which ended on March 31.
The provincial funding, however, also appears to coincide with a sudden surge in donations from key members connected to FGF Brands — all to the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.
Elections Ontario records suggest the owners of FGF Brands — founder Sam Ajmera and his sons, Tejus and Ojus Ajmera — along with other members of the family, donated twice in 2025 for a total of $32,000.
The first donation, from five members of the Ajmera family, came during the snap winter election campaign: $3,040 per individual, for a total of $15,200.
The second donation, which came almost immediately after, was listed as the “2025 annual period”: $3,400 per individual for a total of $17,000.
Pattern appears to repeat itself
In 2022, Ontario Shipyards, formerly known as the Heddle Marine Services, hired Rubicon Strategies to “educate the government on the economic development benefits that can be gained by supporting the shipbuilding industry.”
According to the lobbying records, the company targeted the Premier’s Office and a number of ministries, including finance, economic development and labour.
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Shortly after, the company was awarded millions of dollars from Ontario taxpayers from multiple government ministries, totalling $25.8 million — roughly $13.7 million of which came from the government’s skills development fund.
In July 2023, with then-labour minister Monte McNaughton in tow, Premier Doug Ford announced the company would receive $3.7 million in SDF funding to “train more people for highly skilled jobs in the shipbuilding industry.”
Elections Ontario records show company executives made multiple donations to the Ontario PC Party, along with successive ministers of labour.
In 2021, when the Ford government first opened the fund, names matching those of the company’s chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer and director of business development donated a total of $8,594 to the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex PC riding association.
That was the riding represented by McNaughton, who was the labour minister at the time.
In 2024, the same year the company received $10 million in funding from the SDF, the same executives donated $6,640 to the Northumberland-Peterborough South PC riding association. Current Labour Minister David Piccini represents that riding.
Between 2021 and 2024, company executives appear to have also donated another $18,870 to the PC Party.
Ontario Liberal MPP John Fraser said the process appears to be a “scheme.”
“People are donating lots of money and then they’re getting millions of dollars from a government,” Fraser said. “It’s just out there for everybody to see.”
Stephanie Smyth, another Liberal MPP, said she felt the way skills development funding dollars had been handed out was shocking.
“The fact that this government is operating a circular economy of donations for taxpayer dollars – our dollars – that are then donated back again to the government is frankly gobsmacking,” she said.
At Queen’s Park, as Minister Piccini was grilled by the opposition during question period, NDP Leader Marit Stiles raised another example she said followed the same trend as other Skills Development Fund controversies.
The Ontario Harness Horse Association, which advocates on behalf of racehorse owners and trainers, received more than $6 million in funding over several rounds of the SDF.
Donation records, kept by Elections Ontario, show the president of the organization has made a flurry of donations between 2022 and 2025 to the PC party, elected PC MPPs and candidates totalling $15,548.
Stiles said those donations were just a fraction of the total.
“The association’s president, their general manager, their executive director have all donated to the Conservative Party,” Stiles said.
“Their president and his family donated about $43,000 to the Conservatives. Wow.”
James Whelan, president of the OHHA, confirmed to Global News his organization was granted more than $6 million in skills development funding, although it did not spend the full sum, and said donations made by himself and others were done so in a “personal” capacity.
“The contributions are personal contributions,” he wrote in an email. “And those Individuals have a history of contributions and supporting all four provincial parties.”
Whelan said the NDP should “cease and desist trying to make political hay on the backs of grassroots, tax paying and law abiding rural Ontarians.”
He added the program funded through the skills development fund was one the OHHA was “very proud and passionate (about) and fills a huge void that is desperately needed in the agricultural industry.”
The questions about the broader skills development fund, and who donated to the Progressive Conservative Party, come as the Ford government looks to increase yearly individual donation limits to $5,000 — which, Stiles argued, shows the premier is looking to “dig in” despite the scandal.
“If you can pay to play, then you got a place at the table, right? What this government has basically done with these changes is they’re slapping up a big for-sale sign on democracy in the province of Ontario,” Stiles said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a simple message to Quebec doctors amid their ongoing compensation dispute with the provincial government: “Call me.”
“Call 1-800-Doug Ford, all the docs and come by, call me on my cellphone, it’s on the internet, people are taking advantage of it now,” Ford said Wednesday. “Come by and we’ll have you working real quick. I’d love to see the doctors, nurses, would like to see anyone in health care come to Ontario because we’re a growing community.”
The premier’s comments come amid an ongoing dispute doctors are having with the Quebec government over a controversial bill that changes how they’re paid.
In response, Premier Francois Legault said late Wednesday Ford’s comments were “totally unacceptable,” adding the Ontario premier was showing “a complete lack of judgment.”
Legault said his government is trying to bring significant changes to the health system, a delicate and emotional issue, particularly for doctors.
“We all have major challenges in improving our health care systems in all provinces,” Legault said. “This is not the time for provinces to be undermining each other. It’s time to work together.”
Bill 2 was passed over the weekend in Quebec, which will see a portion of doctors’ compensation linked to performance targets related to the number of patients, particularly vulnerable ones, they care for.
Legault called a special session to rush through the bill, which imposes fines of up to $20,000 per day on doctors who take “concerted action” to challenge the government’s policies.
Such actions could include groups of three or more doctors refusing to teach medical students or deciding to leave the public health system or move to another province.
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Doctors say the bill amounts to a pay cut and medical specialists on Tuesday said they’re planning a legal challenge, saying it violates individual freedom.
Despite the threat of fines for leaving the province, some have already been considering a move.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario told Global News in an email that as of Wednesday, it has received 70 applications for licensure since Oct. 23 from physicians from Quebec. The CPSO said the applications were for either a restricted or independent practice certificate in the province.
“These applications for licensure are currently in progress for the indicated period in 2025; some may be withdrawn or cancelled, so the number does not necessarily reflect the number of physicians who will ultimately be granted a certificate of registration from CPSO,” said a spokesperson for the college.
It added the data does not disclose reasons for the doctors to seek licensure to practice in the province.
For context, the CPSO said it received 19 applications between June 1 and Oct. 22.
Quebec doctors have also been eyeing New Brunswick as another option.
According to New Brunswick’s College of Physicians, the number of Quebec doctors seeking to obtain a licence in the Maritime province was in the low single digits all year. There were three in January, for example, and three in August.
So far this month, that number has spiked to 34.
Vitalite Health Network has also published a new Facebook advertisement, encouraging Quebec doctors to move to the Maritime province and the network says it’s received formal expressions of interest.
“Quebec doctors are continuing to look at New Brunswick as a healthy place to work, be respected, work across teams,” said New Brunswick Health Minister John Dornan.
Though Dornan added no one should be trying to attract already established doctors with incentives like higher pay, but said if people decide to come because they’ve showcased what the province has it’s “perfectly acceptable.”
While some doctors have started looking to other provinces, medical organizations like the Canadian and Ontario Medical Associations are raising concerns.
“When there is a shortage right across Canada, where one in five do not have access to a primary care provider, physician, or nurse practitioner, there’s a great need to keep as many of the physicians you have within every province practicing and enjoying their practice and being able to give their best to patients,” said Dr. Margot Burnell, president of the Canadian Medical Association.
A spokesperson with the Ontario Medical Association echoed Burnell’s sentiments.
“There is a doctor shortage across Canada, and all patients deserve access to physician care,” the OMA wrote. “The OMA has been working with the government to improve physician mobility across Canada, but we do not want to compromise the ability of Canadians to access care by fixing a problem in one province by creating an issue in another.”
Asked what would be the selling points for doctors to come to Ontario, Ford told reporters they’d “roll out the red carpet for you.”
“We’ve already hired over 16,000 doctors, we’re paying for their education in medical school, we’re adding more medical schools,” Ford said. “But the seasoned veteran docs, best quality of life you’ve ever have come by. We’ll roll out the red carpet for you.”
Ford added that Ontario has a “rich” Francophone culture, saying Ontario has more than 600,000 Francophones.
—with files from Global News’ Rebecca Lau, Anna Mandin and Suzanne Lapointe and The Canadian Press
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
The LCBO has pleaded guilty and been fined $80,000 after a worker was critically injured while operating a lift truck during a training session at a warehouse in London, Ont.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the incident happened on June 20, 2022, when workers were being trained to use a powered pallet lift truck.
Investigators found that the session was being led by a seasonal worker who was not certified to train others.
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The trainer had experience using the equipment but gave only a brief overview, assuming participants had already completed theoretical training. The trainer proceeded to give an incomplete overview of how to complete a visual and operational inspection based on the employer’s checklist and manufacturer’s manual.
During the exercise, one worker operating the machine for the first time lost control and struck a steel storage rack, suffering a critical injury.
The ministry said the LCBO failed to provide proper information, instruction and supervision, violating a section of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Following a guilty plea in London’s Provincial Offences Court, the $80,000 fine was imposed on Aug. 28, 2025.
The court also added a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which goes to a provincial fund supporting victims of crime.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
TORONTO – Collin Murray-Boyles doesn’t think he’s had his “welcome to the NBA” moment just yet, but he’ll never forget the first time he tangled with the Houston Rockets.
Murray-Boyles started for the first time in his NBA career on Wednesday, playing at centre for the Toronto Raptors in a 139-121 loss to Houston. That meant playing defence against former leading scorer Kevin Durant, former all-star Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., backup centre Steven Adams, all of whom are over six-foot-10.
“That’s a great challenge, especially early on, especially for this team, going up against a team that’s going to make it really deep in the playoffs,” said Murray-Boyles. “You never know what type of lineup you’re going to go up against every night.
“Going up against a supersized line like this showed us what we need to do better, what we did good, and we can watch and see how we can improve.”
Murray-Boyles was taken ninth overall by Toronto in this summer’s NBA Draft. The six-foot-seven 20-year-old has only played in three games so far this season.
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Although Durant — a surefire Hall of Famer who has been named an all-star 15 times — would theoretically be the toughest Rockets player for Murray-Boyles to guard, it was Adams who caught his attention.
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“Steven Adams is insanely strong. My wrists are sore right now. I’m trying to box him out and tussle with him and it’s impossible,” said Murray-Boyles, rubbing his forearms. “I didn’t think it was like that. Nobody gets over his screens.
“I was asking him what his routine is mid game. It’s insane. It’s insane. There’s him and then you have to worry about him and KD. It’s crazy what they got.”
Murray-Boyles’s first-ever NBA start was necessary as Jakob Poeltl, Toronto’s usual starting centre, was ruled out hours before the opening tip-off with lower back stiffness. Murray-Boyles finished with 13 points and two assists over 25 minutes, briefly getting benched after he got four personal fouls.
“We had to start Collin, Collin played in just his third game and he was already starting in the game tonight,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “Without Jak, who’s supposed to help us with rebounding, and controlling the paint, and then do all of that, it puts all the guys in different roles on our second unit.
“(The reserves) are still searching for those combinations, and how those guys can help each other. I think their energy is good. They really trying in games like today, they’re just smaller. They punked us on the glass.”
At different points in the night, Houston was able to put five players out on the court who are all over six-foot-10, at least an inch taller than six-foot-nine Sandro Mamukelashvii, Toronto’s tallest healthy player.
The size advantage held by Smith (6-11), Durant (6-10), Sengun (6-11), Adams (6-11), and Clint Capela (6-10) over the entire Raptors roster allowed them to out-rebound the hosts 53-22.
Houston also outscored the Raptors 66-36 in the paint and the Rockets bench had 37 points to Toronto’s reserves getting 23.
“That’s what comes with it. You’ve got to be more gritty,” said Murray-Boyles. “They had all five crashing sometimes, we had three, two, but we never had all five crashing.
“Some of that falls on me. But we’ve got to be more gritty on the rebounds, try to be as physical as possible throughout the whole game, not giving them anything easy around the rim.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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