Money is meant to help people find jobs. Millions of dollars are handed to big companies. Public colleges left behind. And one big question: where did all the money go?
This is the story unfolding in Ontario right now.
The Ontario government’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) was supposed to help people train for jobs. At first, it sounded like a great plan. Workers could gain new skills, colleges could offer better programs, and the province could prepare for the future.
But now? The SDF is under investigation by the Auditor General, and many are asking tough questions.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) says the money isn’t going where it should. Instead of being invested in public colleges and union training programs, millions are flowing into the hands of private corporations.
And what’s worse, there’s very little transparency. No one really knows how these companies are using the money.
A Storm on the Horizon
Unemployment in Ontario is expected to rise to 8% by next year, with cities like Windsor and Toronto already hitting even higher numbers. Families are worried about paying bills, keeping their homes, and finding secure jobs.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s public debt is expected to swell to $549 billion by 2030. That’s a 70% increase from when Premier Doug Ford first took office.
So again, the question hangs in the air: while Ontarians struggle, where is all the money going?
The Corporate Handouts
Union leaders like JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO, point to some shocking examples.
$23 million went to Merit OpenShop, a group known for being strongly anti-union.
$43 million went to eight Merit Ontario affiliates.
$11 million went to Scale Hospitality, a company that scored only 51% on its application but still received funding.
And then there’s Agnico Eagle Mines, a massive mining company.
In 2022, Agnico Eagle worked with Northern College on an SDF grant, spending $4.58 million to train 146 workers. But in 2025, they cut Northern College out of the deal. This time, they got $10 million to train 150 workers, almost the same number as before, but for twice the price.
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But it gets even stranger.
Agnico Eagle is worth $77 billion and made record profits in 2024. That same year, they gave $120 million to stock buybacks and nearly $800 million in dividends to shareholders.
So why would a company swimming in money need public funds to train workers? Are Ontarians really just paying to boost corporate profits?
The Bigger Picture
At the same time, Ontario’s public colleges are being cut back. Northern College, for example, received only $9.6 million in provincial funding last year. That’s less than what Agnico Eagle alone received from the SDF.
Unions argue this proves the government’s priorities are upside down. Instead of investing in long-term, reliable training programs that prepare young people for good jobs, the province is handing out money to corporations that already have deep pockets.
Hornick warns that this approach doesn’t build real skills; it creates “a dependent workforce” that can be discarded when profits dip.
So here we are. Ontarians face rising unemployment, ballooning debt, and underfunded colleges. Meanwhile, corporations are raking in millions in taxpayer money.
The government insists the SDF is helping workers. But unions and critics are asking: helping workers, or helping corporations?
And the biggest cliffhanger of all:
Will the Auditor General’s investigation finally reveal the truth about where all the money went?
Or will Ontarians be left in the dark, paying the price while corporations cash in?
For now, the future of the Skills Development Fund, and the people it was meant to serve, hangs in the balance.
