Fordwatch 3: The saga continues
Pulled $500 000 from Toronto after-school music project for 275 at-risk youth – August 23, 2018
Budget confirmed $1 billion in cuts to education, Ontario school boards say – March 24, 2021,
Increased average class sizes by 1 – grades 4-8 and 6 for grades 9 to 12 – March 15, 2019
Ontario developers stand to profit from Ford Greenbelt flip-flop – November 17, 2022
Eight of Ontario’s most powerful land developers own thousands of acres of prime real estate near the proposed route of the controversial Highway 413. Four of them are connected to Doug Ford’s P.C. government through party officials and former Tory politicians now acting as registered lobbyists- April 3, 2021
Ontario to fund more private clinic surgeries- August 18, 2022
Ontario increases amount landlords can raise rents by highest level in a decade – June 20, 2022
Ford government offers lowest-paid school staff yearly 2% wage hike and others a 1.25% increase – August 15, 2022
Ontario government refuses to say how many taxpayer-funded hours its lawyers have spent fighting to keep Doug Ford’s mandate letters secret – August 31, 2022
Ontario LTC inspection system fell apart during 1st COVID-19 wave. In a new report, Ombudsman Paul Dubé revealed there were no inspections in the province’s long-term care homes for seven weeks – September 7, 2023
Tories ram through ‘strong mayor’ law for Toronto, Ottawa – September 8, 2022
Ontario Place redevelopment not ‘fair, transparent, or accountable,’ auditor general, Shelley Spence, finds. Costs ballooned by more than $1.8B – December 3, 2024
Do you remember these headlines? They are all clipped from Fordwatch 1 and Fordwatch 2 and appeared on everyday news sites across the province and country. They illustrate just a bit of the Ford government’s cronyism, dishonesty and disregard for law and democracy in Ontario.
You aren’t supposed to remember them. You are supposed to remember the affable Doug Ford who says, hand over heart, that he’s “for the people” over and over again until people wonder “how could a guy like this actually do things like take over school boards and not tell the truth about why he’s doing it?”
Forgetting is a basic ingredient in any government’s recipe for holding on to power. That’s why School Magazine has kept a tab on the efforts of this government to act for itself and its friends.
And if you’ve forgotten headlines like those above just click on the Fordwatch links for a reminder.
Updated October 13, 2025
Education and Ideology
Ontario students with special needs wait years to get help – and funding for them has worsened under Doug Ford, unions say. March 18, 2025 https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/ontario-students-with-special-needs-wait-years-to-get-help-and-funding-for-them-has/article_43c6ae1c-0426-11f0-9394-27f16e950946.html
2024-2025 Ontario Budget OPSBA Overview March 26, 2024, Ontario Public School Boards Association
School Board Takeovers
Ford government suggests underused schools in Ontario boards under supervision could be closed. Ontario School Boards’ Association, said they had long called on the province to lift the moratorium and added that if any schools are to be shut down in supervised boards, “the previous guidelines laid out timelines and required multiple public meetings…These decisions must never be made by ministerial decree.” September 9, 2025, Toronto Star
Ontario education minister faces backlash over proposal to eliminate school board trustees. In May, legislation, Bill 33, was tabled to allow the province to take over a school board without review. August 21, 2025, CHCH News
Ontario takes control of 4 more school boards over ‘mismanagement’: minister. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) says the province takeover is a power grab, and boards haven’t been properly funded for years. June 27, 2025, CBC News
School board takeovers: Behind Ontario’s new oversight move. In April, Education Minister Calandra, placed Thames Valley, the London-area public school board, under Ministry supervision. May 31, 2025, London Free Press
Bill33
Ontario to give education minister power to more easily take over school boards. As well, Ontario would require school boards to implement a school resource officer program if the local police service offers one. May 29, 2025, CTV New
Toronto
TDSB proposes closing pools, cutting music instructors to eliminate projected $70 M deficit. The TDSB was set to implement a deficit recovery plan but Ministry of Education rejected it on April 23, indicating it would appoint a financial investigator to address the board’s ongoing deficit. April 25, 2025, City News
Toronto District School Board trustees seek more funding from Ontario. The TDSB says it’s grappling with significant financial challenges, including a $1 500 shortfall in per-student funding when figures are adjusted for inflation. May 7, 2025, Toronto Star
TDSB blocks some trips, film screenings related to Israel-Palestine as parents accuse board of double standard. June 7, 2025, Toronto Star
Students walk out after Toronto high school places stickers over yearbook picture of girls wearing keffiyehs The entire print run of the Ursula Franklin Academy’s 2025 yearbook had been altered to cover the image of girls wearing keffiyehs. June 21, 2025. Toronto Star
Governance and ideology
Look harder, Ford tells unemployed young people seeking work – StatsCan reports Ontario shed 26 000 jobs in August – the most of any province. September 10, 2025, Toronto Star
Ontario orders public servants back into office full time. OPSEU says union not initially consulted. August 14, 2025, CBC News
Opposition slams Ford Government’s $40 M pre-election pro-Ontario ad blitz. May 26, 2025, CBC News
The Supreme Court of Canada rules a key provision of Ontario’s Election Finances Act – hurriedly passed by the Ford Government prior to the 2022 election – unconstitutionally breached the right to vote and to meaningfully participate in the electoral process. March 7, 2025, TVO
Ford downplays hot mic comments saying he was pleased when Trump won the U.S. election in November. February 4, 2025, CTV News
Doug Ford to call an early election for February 27. Ford already has a majority government and the February 27th election will cost between $150 million and $175 million. Aside from the Trump tariffs, Ford is concerned about the ongoing RCMP investigation into the $8.28 billion Greenbelt scandal. January 24,2024, Toronto Star
Ford wins 3rd straight majority government February 27,2025, CBC News
Opposition parties slam Ford government for legislature’s long summer break. The lengthy recess comes a week after MPPs voted themselves pay increases of 35 per cent with a pension plan. Opposition parties said the move makes it harder to scrutinize the government’s actions. June 5, 2025, Toronto Star
Budget and Ideology
Ford’s budget delivers for corporations, fails working Ontarians again. Laura Walton, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, said Ford ignored fair wages, secure jobs, and public services that actually work. She added that Ford continues to neglect Ontario’s care economy, stating that health care, child care, education, post-secondary education, and public transit all remain underfunded. May 15, 2025, Montreal Gazette
Ford government unveils 2025 Ontario Budget May 15, 2025, CBC News
Don’t be fooled by big numbers—Ontario budget fails to address years-long funding shortfalls May 15, 2025, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Justice System and Ideology
Jails
Ontario’s jails in ‘growing crisis’ which cannot be ignored ‘any longer’: ombudsman June 25, 2025, Global News
Disturbing video shows jail guards carrying out violent, hours-long retribution at Maplehurst. Ontario government lawyers tried to prevent the public release of the videos. March 31, 202, Toronto Star
Other
Ford lashes out against “terrible, bleeding heart judges” – says they are blocking the government’s agenda, musing perhaps they should be elected. April 30, 2025, CTV News
Transportation and ideology
The 401 tunnel
Ford thinks Hwy. 401 tunnel will be nation-building project– says he thinks Prime Minister Mark Carney will designate his plan to tunnel an expressway below Highway 401 as a nation-building project, though there’s no sign he’s been given any guarantees. September 16, 2025, CP 24
401 tunnel plan had ‘potential for roadway collapse’ in a work study from 2021. The assessment of the plan, never revealed to the public at the time, also determined that burrowing under an active highway would face a slew of technical and financial problems and could cause “risks to public safety.” August 6, 2025, Global News
Ford asks Carney to prioritize “nation-building” projects including highway 401 tunnel. Opposition critics have ridiculed the idea of a tunnel as being a fantasy that would cost tens of billions of dollars and not truly address gridlock. May 5, 2025, CTV News
Bike Lane Removals
Ford considers use of notwithstanding clause to get bike lanes removed August 8, 2025, The Narwhal
Ford’s bike lane removal law unconstitutional: Ontario Court July 30, 2025, Toronto Sun
Ford government files appeal against injunction frustrating its bike lane removal. May 7th, 2025, Global News
Judge orders Ford government to pause Toronto bike lane removals for now. April 22, 2025, Global News
Ontario aware bike lane removals in Toronto may not reduce congestion and collisions for all road users could increase by 54%. The heavily-redacted documents were made public for an injunction Tuesday to prevent bike lane removal work until the court challenge is heard in full in April. March 12, 2025, CBC News
Other
Doug Ford moves to ban speed cameras in Ontario. Andrea Hazell, Ontario Liberal Critic for Transportation, said “speed cameras have reduced collisions and saved lives. Yes the program can and should be improved to maximize fairness but scrapping it altogether is reckless.” September 25, 2025, CTV News
Ontario wants to expand vehicle stop-and-searches, proposes amending Highway Traffic Act to expand police powers. Some experts say it could lead to racial profiling. May 20, 2025, CBC News
Environment and ideology
Proposed Wasaga Beach sale could let ‘awful precedent’, environmentalists say. The Ontario government plans to hand parts of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park over to the local town. July 26, 2025, CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/wasaga-beach-proposal-law-1.7594227
Bill 5
Ford apologizes for saying First Nations ‘keep coming hat in hand’ amid Bill 5 controversy. June 19, 2025, CBC News
First Nations Leadership responds to the passing of Bill 5 – warning legal and grassroots action. June 5 2025, Chiefs of Ontario
Bill 5 proposes to overhaul a number of regulations to accelerate energy and infrastructure development, as well as mineral extraction – explainer. May 2025, The Narwhal
Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, would give Premier Ford and his cabinet unprecedented power over our communities, including powers to dictate who is exempt from the law and who is not. May 2025, Environmental Defence
Ford and the Family Compact
A bit of history. The Family Compact was a group of wealthy and well-connected families that governed Upper Canada – now Ontario – from the early to mid 19th century. They were opposed to responsible government, preferring to share the rigours and rewards of governing amongst people like themselves. Names that you will still see indicating important places throughout the province included first Lieutenasnt Governor John Graves Simcoe, James Baby, Anglican Bishop John Strachan and Chief Justice John Beverley Robinson. The Ford government appears to have taken the Family Compact to heart as it continues to reward its friends and donors.
Labour minister was in Leafs’ glass seats with director of company he granted funding to. Months before he was put in charge of Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, cabinet minister David Piccini was at a Toronto Maple Leafs game in front-row seats with a director of a company his office would later give $7.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants to. October 9, 2025. The Trillium
Clients of lobby firms connected to premier, his nephew given tens of millions in training funds . Clients of lobbying firms with close connections to Premier Doug Ford and his nephew have been hugely successful in applying to the province’s Skills Development Fund, a grant program Ontario’s auditor general recently characterized as “not fair, transparent or accountable.” Over $100 million was received by Rubicon Strategies, owned by Ford campaign manager Kory Teneycke. October 6, 2025, The Trillium
Development, cronyism and ideology
Two years later, top Tories who lost jobs in Greenbelt scandal still haven’t been interviewed by RCMP. RCMP officials were tight-lipped when contacted about the second anniversary launching their criminal inquiry. October 10, 2025, Toronto Star
Ford says ‘people don’t give two hoots’ about the Greenbelt fiasco. Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim said last week that inappropriate behaviour “frustrated” searches under freedom of information legislation and broke laws that require proper records on official decisions. June 19, 2025, Toronto Star
Ford to streamline mining, project permits and diminish environmental assessment requirements. Indigenous New Democratic MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinong) accused the government of doing “the bare minimum” in terms of consultation with First Nations. April 17, 2025, Toronto Star
John Mutton, former Ontario mayor dubbed ‘Mr X’, banned from lobbying province for 2 years due to transgressions in trying to remove a client’s land from the Greenbelt. April 17, 2025, CBC News
Former Ford aide broke lobbying rules for Greenbelt. Integrity commissioner J.David Wake laid out several instances in which Nico Fidani-Diker broke lobbying rules. He faces no sanctions for the violations. March 31, 2025, CBC News
New York Times investigation has found that Austrian-based luxury spa company Therme “misrepresented” itself to secure a lucrative 95-year lease at Ontario Place. April 16, 2025, City News
And see New York Times article on same issue:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/world/canada/therme-spa-ontario-canada.htm
Ontario plans to apply ‘strong mayor’ powers in 169 more communities. April 9, 2025, Global News
Inside the Ford government, there was worry the Ontario Place Spa was “high risk.” They signed a 95 year lease anyway. August 17, 2025, Toronto Star
Housing and cronyism
Ford government scrapped Toronto affordable housing requirements after pushback from three REITs, documents show. May 30, 2025, Toronto Star
Ford government move could see environmental home requirements sacrificed in the name of building faster and cheaper. Municipalities are trying to figure out if the requirements to limit emissions of new homes will survive the Ford government’s latest housing push. May 18, 2025, Toronto Star
Health and ideology
Ontario Patient Ombudsman report slams Health atHome’s bungling of medical supply shortages. The report stated a “significant lack of effective oversight.” September 25, 2025, Toronto Star
Ontario slammed for inadequate youth mental health services, water testing in provincial auditor’s report. March 31, 2025, Toronto Star
Ontario supervised consumption sites get reprieve through injunction. March 28, 2025, Global News
Hundreds line up outside the Walkerton Legion for a shot at getting a family doctor. An estimated 2.3 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor. January 16, 2025, CTV News
