There are more than 600 agencies in Ontario, 259 of which are controlled directly by the province. The top 14 spend more than $1.7 billion a year. Agencies are typically established to provide specific services to the public, businesses and other government departments, and generally funded by taxes, though some have other funding mechanisms.  Over time,  and especially in good times, agencies and their budgets grew.  And sometimes, the perks grew, which is a perennial sore spot in public sector operations.  The Ontario Power Authority, to take an often-cited example, was once a transitional body, and has now grown to over 200 employees.

These days when Ontario’s deficit is topping nearly $19B, the government is looking for ways to bring spending down. Thirteen agencies and various perks are at stake and are now planned to be eliminated.