ServiceOntario Outsourced to Staples
The Ford government sole-sourced a contract to move ServiceOntario locations into US-owned Staples stores, costing $11.7 million—$1.5 million more than announced.
📋 An in effect Contracts policy from January 2024 · Implemented · Well sourced
Updated · Created
"Modernizing Service Delivery"
Partnering with established retail locations to make ServiceOntario more convenient and accessible for Ontarians.
"Sole-Sourced to a US Private Equity Firm at Higher Cost Than Public Model"
The contract was sole-sourced to Staples Canada, owned by Sycamore Partners (a New York private equity firm). The government announced a $10.2 million cost, but the FAO found the actual cost was $11.7 million — $1.5 million more than stated. Taxpayer money was used to renovate privately owned Staples stores.
- FAO found actual cost was $11.7M — $1.5M more than the government announcedsource
- Sole-sourced contract — Minister called it a "pilot project" to bypass competitive biddingsource
- $1.7M in taxpayer funds used to renovate privately owned Staples storessource
- Privacy concerns: personal data (health cards, driver's licenses) handled in private retail environmentsource
This section represents editorial interpretation of documented evidence.
Figures are approximate, using publicly available Ontario cost data.
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