Health care and education top Sunshine List

SDG – For the first time ever, Ontario’s Sunshine List has reported over 400,000 public sector employees who earned over $100,000 per year. Health care and school board positions, made up the bulk of the list locally. Meanwhile, two municipalities were still paying for past employees as their highest-paid personnel.

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis continues to be the highest paid civil servant in the region. The Medical Officer of Health and CEO of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit earned $393,472.40 in 2025. A total of 35 employees of the EOHU were named to the Sunshine List this year.

At the Cornwall Community Hospital, CEO Jeanette Despatie earned $374,033.91 — leading a total of 304 employees on the list. Winchester District Memorial Hospital CEO Cholly Boland was the highest paid on the list of 61 hospital employees. He earned $337,215.74 last year.

The number of municipal employees on the Sunshine List increased across the region. In South Dundas, Treasurer Julie Stewart was the top paid employee out of eight on the list, earning $136,646.65 in 2025. That list included now-former Fire Chief Jeremy Alldred-Hughes, who left the municipality’s employ in October.

North Dundas’ list of seven employees on the Sunshine List includes two CAOs — former CAO Angela Rutley, who left the municipality in October 2024, was the top earning employee in 2025. Rutley received $160,057.82, while current CAO Meena Mullur was the third-highest-paid employee on the list ($120,324.11).

South Stormont led the lower-tier municipalities in SDG with 13 staff on the list, including now-retired CAO Debi Lucas ($177,929.54).

South Glengarry had 10 employees on the Sunshine List; the highest-paid employee was now-former CAO Jamie Fawthrop ($167,126.73). Fawthrop was recently hired as the new CAO for SDG Counties. North Stormont’s Sunshine List employee list grew to six last year, with now-retired CAO Craig Calder being the top-earner at $161,432.80.

North Glengarry had six employees on the list, with former CAO/clerk Sarah Huskinson earning $198,418.29. Huskinson left her position with that township in early September 2025.

At the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, 17 employees were on the list, with CAO Maureen Adams leading the list ($222,663.77).

The City of Cornwall had 278 employees on the Sunshine List, including 90 members of the Cornwall Police Service. Former CAO Mathieu Rochon-Fleury led the city’s list, earning $229,464.90 in 2025. Cornwall council parted ways with Rochon-Fleury in October 2024.

Looking at neighbouring municipalities, the Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal had 20 employees on the list, 12 of whom work at the township-owned Port of Johnstown. Port General Manager Leslie Drynan was the township’s top earner at $188,693.05.

The Town of Prescott had four employees on the list, with CAO Matthew Armstrong at the top, earning $157,773.70 in 2025.

Brockville City Manager Sandra Macdonald led the city’s 97 employees on the Sunshine List, earning $211,402.88 last year. Meanwhile, Senior Policy Advisor Alison Tutak was the top earning employee at the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, at $239,715.46.

Local tourism agency, the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, had 24 employees on the list this year. General Manager and CEO Hollee Kew was the highest-paid employee at the agency, earning $268,073.62 in 2025.

School board employees made up much of the list for this region, and the bulk of the increase this year. There were 1,437 Upper Canada District School Board employees, of whom 1,209 were teachers. There were 228 non-teaching staff at the board, including 94 principals and 60 vice-principals. The highest paid person for 2025 at the board was Director of Education Ron Ferguson at $309,084.60.

At the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, there were 770 employees on the Sunshine List, of whom 641 were teachers. The remaining 129 employees include 43 principals and 19 vice-principals. Superintendent of Education Julia Graydon was the top-earning employee of the CDSBEO at $199,230.66.

The Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est-de-l’Ontario (French Public) reported 1,088 employees in 2025, including 844 teachers. The remaining 244 employees included 41 principals and 43 vice-principals. The highest-paid employee is Director of Education Christian-Charles Bouchard, who earned $332,354.72.

Lastly for schools, the Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien (French Catholic) had a total of 724 employees on this year’s Sunshine List — 591 are teachers. The remaining 133 positions include 32 principals and 21 vice-principals. Director of Education Lyne Racine earned $343,925.98 in 2025, and was the highest-paid Director of Education across the four school boards.

Members of Provincial Parliament were also on the Sunshine List in 2025. Premier Doug Ford earned $269,567.49, while Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP, and Minister of Colleges and Universities, Nolan Quinn earned $213,939.76. Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP, and Government House Leader Steve Clark earned $177,886.73.

The Sunshine List was established in 1997. At the time, 4,250 names were on the list. That has now ballooned to over 404,000 — a 9,408 per cent increase. The $100,000 threshold for the list has never changed since 1997. According to the Bank of Canada, that $100,000 in 1997 dollars would be worth $184,128.75 in 2026.