Ontario spent nearly $46M on government advertising, FOI records reveal

We build. That's what we do in Ontario. The Protect Ontario ads included some prime TV slots, airing during the Super Bowl. The government also ran ads on affordability. I submitted a Freedom of Information request, or FOI, asking for the cost of these two campaigns. The timeline runs from shortly after their re-election in 2025 to this past summer, so it's more than a year. The results detail payments to Meta, including Facebook and Instagram, Google, and some big amounts to Essence MediaCom, a communications agency, as well as the ad agency Publicis Canada. The grand total from April 2025 to July 2026, just over $30 million. On the affordability commercials, it is outrageous that the government decided to reach into the people's pocket at a time when affordability is a real issue for most people. Premier Doug Ford was asked about the ad costs a few months ago while out with the federal government and defended them. I think it's great that we're informing people. And do you know what I love? I love the federal ads too. I also did a separate FOI on another ad campaign, Ontario Corps. These ones came out on TV, also seen in movie theatres, using a song by Rush. The response here, not nearly as detailed as that first request. The total? 15 million dollars, from March 2025 to July 2026. I don't know if it's working, but they're telling me it's working. Right? I'd like to see that demonstrated more. You're spending that much money. The Ontario Corps consists of volunteers to help in emergencies, such as the forest fires in summer. The government faced strong criticism for not doing more during that disaster. People were desperate to get the support of the government, and they were nowhere. It took them forever. So the idea that they think that the solution is to advertise. But a government spokesperson credits the ad campaign for a big spike in volunteer sign-ups for Ontario Corps, saying they're now up to 34,000 people. Year after year, the Auditor General flags government ad spending for not being a need-to-know information source for people. It really was just fostering a positive view of the governing party. But that's allowed. The former Liberal government loosened the rules on government advertising. And while Ford promised to reverse those changes when he first came to power, he didn't. For the most recent year, the Auditor General tracked, ad spending was the highest ever, almost $112 million. But she says that's common in the year leading up to an election. Her latest annual report is expected next month. Lorenda Rettikop, CBC News, Toronto.