Ford government spent $1.45 million in promotional road signs
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to cut government advertising after freedom of information records revealed the government spent at least $1.45 million on promotional roads signs.
“Ford should stop wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on overpriced promotional signs,” said Noah Jarvis, CTF Ontario Director. “The government is wasting money on self-promotion instead of doing the basics like filling potholes and cutting wasteful spending.”
The Ministry of Transportation spent $1.45 million manufacturing and installing promotional signs placed alongside Ontario roadways and highways from 2021-25, according to freedom of information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The signs tout the government infrastructure projects, emblazoned on a blue background a similar shade to the Progressive Conservatives’ logo.
The government paid $458,273 to manufacture the signs and $990,597 to install them. That makes the average cost of manufacturing and installing the signs at least $28,409 each.
The ministry failed to disclose the installation cost for 26 of the 51 promotional signs.
The government could have filled about 58,000 potholes with the $1.45 million spent on promotional signs.
The $28,409 average cost of these signs could have paid for TikTok ads that would have garnered approximately 2.8 million impressions. Or it could have paid for adds on Facebook and Instagram that would have garnered about 1.3 million impressions.
The Ford government has been breaking records for advertising spending in recent years.
Ontario’s Auditor General found the Ford government spent $111.9 million on advertising during fiscal year 2024-25, even though the study does not capture promotional road signs.
“Ford recklessly spending money littering the province with promotional road signs symbolizes how this government treats taxpayer dollars,” Jarvis said. “The Ford government needs to be honest with Ontarians and reveal the full cost of its self-promotional signs to taxpayers.”
