Across Ontario, local ServiceOntario counters are quietly being pushed to the brink of closure.

While many residents assume these counters are run directly by the provincial government, most rural and community locations are actually operated by local independent small businesses under contract with the province. 

For over 12 years, the funding model for these independent counters has remained virtually frozen. While small business operators face skyrocketing commercial hydro rates, rising rent, statutory employer tax increases, and compounding inflation, provincial funding per open hour has increased by less than half a percent per year.

🔴 The Problem: An Inadequate Hourly Rate Model
Forced Transition to a Flawed Hourly Model: The Ministry is forcing private operators off commission and onto a fixed hourly rate. However, this new rate is drastically underpaid—representing only a roughly 5% increase over the frozen wages offices have been surviving on for years.
Failure to Cover Real-World Overhead: This tiny adjustment fails to cover skyrocketing commercial operating expenses—such as commercial hydro, rent, insurance, and statutory tax hikes—let alone fair, real-world Ontario living wages ($21.50–$27.20/hr) for counter staff.
Uncompensated In-Person Support: While routine transactions moved online, complex, time-consuming tasks remained at physical counters. Clerks routinely spend 20 to 30 minutes guiding seniors and residents through non-commissioned forms, digital portals, and complex documentation—a heavy administrative load that the proposed hourly rate completely ignores.

🛑 What Is at Risk?
If the Ministry forces independent operators onto their new compensation model, local small business owners will be forced to shut their doors permanently.
The Ministry is forcing private offices to shift from a commission-based system to a fixed hourly rate—a rate that is drastically underpaid. In fact, this new hourly rate represents only about a 5% increase over the outdated wages offices have been forced to survive on while waiting years for the Ministry to set a new rate.
Expecting small businesses to cover skyrocketing storefront inflation, hydro, rent, and real-world Ontario living wages ($21.50–$27.20/hr) on this trivial adjustment is an insult to local business owners. To reflect modern commercial realities, this hourly rate must be increased by at least 90%.

When a local counter closes:

Seniors and vulnerable residents lose access to in-person help.
Working families are forced to drive long distances to major regional hubs.
Community wait times explode.

✍️ What We Are Demanding
We are calling on the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement to:

Establish a Sustainable Funding Baseline: Provide independent operators with a realistic hourly rate that covers commercial operating expenses and allows clerks to be paid fair, competitive living wages.
Account for Real-World Inflation: Implement annual CPI indexation so local counters never fall 12 years behind inflation again.
Protect Local Access: Keep physical, face-to-face ServiceOntario counters open in our local communities.

Please sign and share this petition to tell the Ministry to protect our local ServiceOntario counters and support the small businesses that keep our communities running!

By signing this petition, you are sending a clear message to the Ministry that fair living wages matter—and that funding our local counters properly keeps dedicated workers out of poverty while ensuring our communities retain essential in-person services.