The Ontario government just released the latest Ontario Sunshine List for 2024 on March 27 Thursday afternoon. This list shows the people who work for the government and earn more than $100,000.
In 2023, there were 300,570 people on the Sunshine list, which is more than in 2022 when there were 267,000.
The total amount of money paid to these high-earning employees is over $38 billion each year. Kenneth Hartwick, who is the President and CEO of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), is once again the highest-paid person, making a little over $1.9 million.
Another OPG executive, Dominique Miniere, earned almost $1.2 million.
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Ontario Sunshine List 2024: Ontario’s top earning Public Servants:
In 2023, the top five earners in Ontario’s public sector were all executives working at OPG. Additionally, more than 9,300 other employees also made it onto the Sunshine List 2024 of high earners.
Here are some other top earners:
- Ronald Cohn, President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children ($851,414)
- Kevin Smith, President and CEO of University Health Network ($844,992)
- Phil Verster, CEO of Metrolinx ($838,097)
- Mark Fuller, CEO of Ontario Pension Board ($826,539)
- Matthew Anderson, CEO of Ontario Health ($821,000)
This year, there are more employees on the list, totalling 300,570 compared to 266,948 in 2022.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford still earns the same amount as last year, $208,974. But some of his staff, like his chief of staff, earn more, with a salary of over $324,000.
Other cabinet ministers, like Government House Leader Paul Calandra and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones, earn less at $165,851.
Salaries of Other Key Ontario Public Figures
Aside from public sector employees, the Ontario Sunshine List 2022 also includes the salaries of other key Ontario public figures.
Here are the salaries of other public figures in 2024:
- $562,325 for TTC CEO Rick Leary
- $346,303 for Jamie Wallace, Ford’s former chief of staff and current CEO of Supplies Ontario.
- $464,148 for Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health.
- $455,091 for Dr. Dirk Huyer, the Chief Coroner.
- $395,974 for Bonnie Lysyk, the Auditor General.
- $373,472 for Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique.
- $174,950 for Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Leader
- $129,438 for Bonnie Crombie, Former Mississauga Mayor
Ontario’s top medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, earns $464,148, while the Chief Coroner, Dr. Dirk Huyer, takes home $455,091. The Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner earns $373,472.
List Of Top Public Sector Earners More Than $500K in Ontario 2024
Is $100K Too Low for Ontario Sunshine List Threshold?
The Ontario Sunshine list has sparked a debate about whether $100,000 is still a good threshold. The number of people on the sunshine list has almost doubled since 2018. This list started in 1996 to make Ontario’s spending more transparent.
Since then, the threshold hasn’t changed since it started in 1996, even though prices have gone up over time.
To put it in perspective, $100,000 in 1996 would be like $180,000 today, when you consider inflation.
But Government House Leader Paul Calandra said they don’t plan to change this threshold while speaking with reporters at Queen’s Park on Thursday.
“I think that it’s an important document that serves the people well in highlighting the salaries of public employees.”
Government House Leader Paul Calandra
The official opposition in Ontario agrees. They say $100,000 is still a lot of money, especially when people are struggling to afford things.
Every year by March 31, the Ontario government has to release the sunshine list according to the law.
