Donations to curb Ontario government's debt rose during COVID-19

Premier Doug Ford has said it over and over the worst place to hand your money is to the government. But Ontarians gave a boost in donations to help pay down the province's debt during the first year of COVID-19, amid record spending and deficit.

A total of $154,389 was contributed to the Ontario Opportunities Fund in 2020-21, from1,530 donations a jumpfrom amounts the program pulled in over the past decade.

The fund, created in 1996 to tackle the debt, is credited as the brainchild of two young sisters.

Donations are solicited on tax forms you may notice the box as you rush tofinishtaxes before Monday's deadlineor can be sent any time during the year. Contributions areredirected to the fundfromincome tax refunds.

The range in donations for 2020-21 varieswildly,starting at just $2(19 donors opted to givea toonie) and rising all the way to one donation of $9,000. The mostcommon amountwas $100, contributed 155 times.

Notably, 20 donors gave exactly $224, but the reason for that number is unclear. The province doesn't collect information on when or where the donations are made.

Doesn't make a debt dent

The uptick goes against the declinemany Canadian charities are dealing with right now.

A recent giving report by the online donations platform Canada Helps showsan overalldrop in donations during the pandemic, especially with the cancellation ofmany in-person fundraising events.

Samantha Jones,co-ordinator of fundraising management programat Toronto's Humber College, actuallycredits COVID-19 for benefiting the province's fund.

"[Ontarians are] aware of the significant impact of COVID and want to be a part of that solution," she said. "I really hope that we see that uptick as well across charitable donations."

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Despite the 2020-21 donations, the amount raisedhas dropped significantly over time. In 2003-04, for example, donors contributed $307,000 it's now basically half that amount.

This barely makes a dentin the debt. The province most recently projected net debtfor 2021-22at almost $395.4billion, while projecting the deficitat$13.1 billionfor 2021-22. Updated numbers areexpected during Thursday's budget.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation believesthe fund is a good idea, giving donors away to show the government how much debt matters to them.

But Jay Goldberg, the federation's Ontario director, saidhe wouldn't donateto the fund until the books are balanced.

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"Any money that taxpayers are going to try to put toward paying down the debt is going to be immediately offset within minutes by the new debt that the government is taking on," he said.

Fund founder thinks its 'weird'

CBC couldn't find any recent contributors, but did hear fromChelsea Smith, who was celebrated along with her sister Sam for "founding" the fund during Premier Mike Harris's reign.

The siblings, then 6 and 5 and living in Mattawa near North Bay, Ont.,saw a story about the province's money woeson TV andpooled their piggy banks to send$21.97.

The finance minister at the time, Ernie Eves, ran with it, creating the Opportunities Fund, or as he called it, The Chelsea and Samantha Fund.

The familygot invited to Queen's Park. There's even archival footage of Chelsea picking her nose up in the gallery.

"My only concern at the time was I was going to go back to school, and all the kids would see and they would be making fun of me."

Now 32 years old, working, paying taxes andliving with her boyfriend and their three cats, she has a different perspective.

"If this happened today to some other kids, I would be very cynical about it," she admitted."I think it was kind of scummy to do, to be honest."

Smith believes there are better places these donations could be going, fixingissues like cost of living, climate change and housing instead. She hasn't donated to the fund since and doesn't know anyone who has.

"I kind of find it to be kind of a weird idea," she said. "I'm probably going to be donating to the NDP this year. That'll be my donation to the Ontario government, in my eyes."