NDP Leader Marit Stiles pressed the Ontario government Monday over why a dentist with alleged personal ties to Premier Doug Ford received $2 million through the province’s Skills Development Fund (SDF).
During Question Period, Stiles asked the premier to explain “why his close personal friend and dentist… got $2 million from this government,” saying images of the premier appear on the clinic’s website.
Labour Minister David Piccini dismissed the criticism, accusing the NDP of failing to support skills training and major provincial infrastructure projects. He said the opposition “can’t contemplate nation-building,” citing their long-standing objections to Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
Stiles countered that the government “ignored the objective ranking of the criteria,” alleging the ministry “handpicked low-scoring applications that benefited their friends and insiders over stronger applications.” She added that the Etobicoke-based DentalCloud website “brags that they make their clients as comfortable as the Ford family has during visits,” and referenced Ford’s past remarks that people could reach him or the dentist by calling the premier’s personal phone number.
Piccini called Stiles’ claims “incorrect” and insisted the SDF supports meaningful training across Ontario, pointing to higher apprenticeship and program-completion rates.
Background on the funding
The issue was first reported by The Trillium in late September. According to the outlet, DentalCloud — a practice-management and brokerage firm — received just over $2 million in the third round of the SDF, a program launched in February 2021 to address labour shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Trillium reported that Dr. John Maggirias, CEO of DentalCloud, had worked closely with Kate Bartz, the spouse of then-labour minister Monte McNaughton, who oversaw the program from June 2019 to September 2023. The connection emerged about a year after Maggirias incorporated DentalCloud in November 2021, when he became involved with the newly formed Canadian Federation of Dentistry, where Bartz served as president.
Citing eight sources and the clinic’s website, The Trillium reported on Monday that members of Ford’s family have been among the clinic’s patients.
DentalCloud’s chief operating officer, Edward Kwan, also told the outlet the SDF money allowed the company to deliver “more than 50 hours of specialized training” to 349 dental-industry workers, resulting in over 70 hires.
So far, Ontario is now in the sixth round of the SDF Training Stream, with $260 million allocated for new projects to help workers gain in-demand skills. The fund has grown into a $2.5-billion program supporting employer and union-led initiatives, which the province says are intended to protect workers and keep Ontario competitive.