Ontario released its “sunshine list” in time for everyone to comment on it Friday. Reaching to six volumes and numbering 111,438 names, the list has grown by 14 percent over the previous year.
Begun in 1996 by Mike Harris, the “sunshine list” was to show openness and accountability by public sector workers in Ontario.
The list will continue to grow strictly because of inflation. What $100,000 was valued at in 1996 is now valued at $145,046 today based on the Ontario consumer price index. Similarly, today’s $100,000 was only worth $70,260 in 1996.
Tracking down all the public sector workers earning over $100,000 in the Rainy River District is an onerous task. One can make some generalizations based on salaries in other areas of the province. Probably almost half of the police officers in the district are now on the “sunshine list.”
District judges who in 1996 eared $123,824 now earn $292,100—an annual increase of 4.9 percent.
The Rainy River District School Board now has 40 names on the “sunshine list” while the Northwest Catholic School board has 12.
The top earners for the Rainy River District School board are director of education Heather Campbell earning $179,444, teacher and OSSTF president Paul Elliott ($210,999), superintendant of education Al McManaman ($155,298), superintendent of business Laura Mills ($156,105), and superintendent of education Robert Slack ($151,105).
The top earners for the Northwest Catholic District School Board are director of education Rick Boisvert ($202,299), superintendant of business Christopher Howarth ($141,432.98), and superintendant of education-school effectiveness lead Jo-Ann Quarel ($130,303.25).
The list will continue grow and now in its 20th year, maybe it is time to raise the bar to a higher salary level for public sector employees.
If the threshold had kept pace with the annual rate of inflation, the “sunshine list” would begin at $145,046 and would only have 19,260 names on it.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
