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Government’s Partnership with ServiceOntario and Staples Canada Raises Questions.
Some ServiceOntario locations will be shutting down as the Ontario government plans to open new centers in some Staples Canada stores, according to a report by CityNews. The government said in December that it was making it easier and more convenient for people and businesses to access important government services, such as health cards, birth certificates and driver’s licenses. However, the government did not mention any closures at the time.
The report said that some of the locations that will be closing have been family businesses for decades and they were given only 70 days’ notice. The number of locations that will be affected is not clear, but they include ones in Toronto, Mississauga, London, and Newmarket. The government said that Staples Canada was chosen as a partner after extensive consultations with potential retail partners, based on criteria such as the number of locations, the size of the stores and parking availability. The government also said that the move will reduce the overall cost of delivering government services to the public and improve the service accessibility hours by 30 per cent.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions from Ontarians, especially in rural areas, who are concerned about the impact of the change on their communities and the distances they would have to travel to access Staples Canada locations. Some people also questioned the business relationship between Premier Doug Ford and John Lederer, the executive chairman of Staples, who reportedly donated money to Ford’s leadership campaign and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Lederer has a long history in the retail industry, having worked for 30 years at Loblaw Companies Ltd., where he was the president from 2000 to 2006.
Other political parties in Ontario, such as the NDP and the Green Party, have criticized the deal. Mike Schreiner, the leader of the Green Party of Ontario, said that the Ford government was putting backroom deals before everyday Ontarians and big-box retailers before independent businesses. He said that the premier should focus on delivering real solutions to the housing and affordability crises instead of helping well-connected insiders profit off public services.
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