About the Ontario Sunshine List

Published annually by the Government of Ontario · Data from 1996–2025

What is the Ontario Sunshine List?

The Ontario Sunshine List is the informal name for the annual disclosure of public sector employees in Ontario who earned $100,000 or more in salary during a calendar year. It is published by the Government of Ontario each spring, typically in late March, covering compensation from the previous calendar year.

The list was established under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996, which requires designated public sector employers to disclose the names, positions, salaries, and taxable benefits of employees earning $100,000 or more. The $100,000 threshold has remained unchanged since 1996.

Who is Included?

The Sunshine List covers employees of organizations that receive public funding in Ontario, including:

• Ontario provincial government ministries and agencies
• Crown corporations and commissions
• Municipalities and local boards
• Hospitals and boards of public health
• School boards and school authorities
• Universities and colleges
• Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One
• Other publicly funded organizations

Employees of private companies, the federal government, or other provinces are not included, even if they receive public contracts.

What Information is Disclosed?

For each qualifying employee, the disclosure includes:

• Salary paid — total salary received during the calendar year
• Taxable benefits — the value of taxable benefits such as car allowances, housing benefits, or other perquisites
• Employer — the organization that employs them
• Job title — their position at the time of disclosure
• Sector — the category of public sector organization

Note that taxable benefits do not include standard employer-paid benefits like health insurance, dental coverage, or pension contributions — only benefits that are considered taxable income under the Canada Revenue Agency rules.

History

The Sunshine List was first published in 1996 under the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Mike Harris, as part of a broader government transparency initiative. It was controversial from the start — supporters argued it held public institutions accountable for executive compensation, while critics noted that the $100,000 threshold, not adjusted for inflation in nearly 30 years, now captures a far larger share of the public sector workforce than originally intended.

In 1996, fewer than 5,000 employees appeared on the list. By 2025, that number has grown to over 400,000 — reflecting both wage growth and the unchanged threshold. Had the threshold been indexed to inflation since 1996, it would be approximately $175,000 today.

About This Site

This site is an independent tool for searching and exploring the Sunshine List data. It is not affiliated with the Government of Ontario. The data is sourced directly from the Ontario government's public disclosure portal and updated annually when new data is released.

The database currently contains 3.2+ million records spanning 1996 to 2025, covering all available years of the disclosure.