TORONTO – Over 100 boards, agencies, and provincial commissions in Ontario were hit with an immediate hiring freeze by the government. President of the Treasury Board, Caroline Mulroney, announced the freeze on September 26.
“Our government is implementing a hiring freeze across Ontario’s provincial agencies, boards, and commission public bodies,” she said in a release. “This freeze will support the government’s ongoing efforts to be disciplined and responsible with taxypayer money while putting more resources info front line service delivery, and back into the pockets of taxpayers.”
Mulroney continued the freeze is responding to what it claims is significant growth in the size of provincial agencies. The Treasury Board claims those organizations have grown at a pace five times higher than the Ontario Public Service.
“The freeze being implemented today reflects a similar policy that has been in place in the OPS since 2018,” she said.
Among the organizations stung by the hiring freeze are the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, and the Ontario Energy Board. The freeze includes tribunal boards as well.
Mulroney said the province will work with its agencies, boards, and commissions to “ensure their human resource strategies align with this direction.”
The freeze was announced the same day that the province released its audited financial statements for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The province recorded a $1.1 billion deficit, compared to a forecasted $9.8 billion deficit when the 2024 budget was tabled. Tax revenues were up due to higher economic growth than what was projected, much of which happened before the implementation of U.S. tariffs before the end of the fiscal year in March.
The hiring freeze is not absolute however, exceptions for front-line services will be made on a case-by-case basis. Ministry officials did not specify if there would be any effect on summer student hiring in 2026 as many of the agencies and commissions such as the SLPC hire students during peak tourism seasons.
“This is about delivering services in a cost-effective way,” Mulroney said. “This is not a cut to services, it’s a cap on hiring.”
Since 2018, the province has reduced the number of agencies from 191 to 143.
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