Methodology

Purpose & Scope

Protect Ontario is a public accountability project focused on provincial spending, policy decisions, and their real-world impacts. The platform is non-partisan and evidence-driven: it emphasizes source documents, legislative text, and transparent data processing.

Scope includes Ontario's Public Accounts, relevant legislation (e.g., Bill 5, Bill 60), and credible third-party research. It does not attempt to cover every program or every vendor in the province; the focus is on the largest and most consequential patterns that affect public services.

Data Sources

This experience visualizes publicly reported spending data from Ontario's Public Accounts — Detailed Schedule of Payments. This is first-party government data published under Ontario's open data program.

The data answers a simple question: "Who did Ontario pay, and how much?"

Additional Research Sources

This visualization incorporates insights and data from additional research reports:

Time Window

Data covers fiscal years 2018-2024, focusing on the period since Doug Ford took office and Ford era (2018-2024).

Update Cadence

The platform updates when new Public Accounts releases or major policy changes occur. Event listings and issue pages are updated as new information becomes available.

Data Integrity

This data has been systematically audited and corrected:

• Payment Processors Excluded: Accounting pass-throughs like D+H (OSAP loans) are excluded from for-profit calculations
• Public Institutions Corrected: Hospitals, municipalities, and public entities misclassified as for-profit have been corrected
• Multi-Source Verification: Data cross-referenced with CCPA reports, Ontario Health Coalition analysis, and OFL tracking
• Transparent Methodology: All classification rules, exclusions, and corrections are documented

Example: D+H Corporation was initially classified as for-profit with a $1.7B payment, but was corrected to a payment processor/pass-through for OSAP loans and grants. This was not a $1.7B payment to a for-profit company—it was student financial aid flowing through a payment system.

Vendor Classification

Vendors are classified into three categories:

• Public: Hospitals, school boards, municipalities, crown agencies
• Non-profit: Registered charities, known non-profit operators
• For-profit: Incorporated companies, staffing agencies, clinics, consultants, IT vendors

Only the top ~200 vendors by total spend or growth are classified. Everything else remains "unclassified" and is visually de-emphasized.

Limitations

• This visualization shows spending patterns, not intent or legality
• Classification is based on publicly available information
• Not all vendors are classified — focus is on top spenders and fastest growers
• Data is a static snapshot — no real-time updates
• Public Accounts show payment processors, not always end recipients — large pass-through payments are excluded

Verification & Corrections

We cross-check large or unusual payments against public records and reputable research sources before highlighting them. If an error is found, we document the correction and update the data in the next release.

To report an error or submit a verified source, contact us via the Take Action page and include the source link or document reference.

Interpretation vs. Source Material

This experience clearly distinguishes interpretation from source material. All payment data comes directly from Ontario's Public Accounts. Visual patterns and classifications are our interpretation of that data.

Data Processing

Raw payment data is processed through the following pipeline:

1. Ingest: Concatenate annual Public Accounts CSVs
2. Normalize: Merge vendor name variations and aliases
3. Aggregate: Calculate totals by vendor, year, and ministry
4. Classify: Tag top vendors by type and category
5. Derive: Generate growth rates and first appearance dates

Water Privatization Analysis

The water privatization section analyzes Bill 60's Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, 2025:

• Legal Analysis: Direct excerpts from the legislation, including sections on corporate structure, municipal control, and financial authority
• Government vs. Critics: Side-by-side comparison of government claims versus critics' interpretation of the law's implications
• Cost Calculator: Based on documented global examples where privatized water systems saw 30-50% rate increases (Atlanta, Indianapolis, and other cities)
• Control Comparison: Interactive visualization showing how control shifts from public to corporate under the legislation

Source: Bill 60 (Your Health Act) was passed in November 2025 and is publicly available through the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The legal analysis is based on direct reading of the statute text.