Provincial elections are coming in Ontario on February 27, and so far the public debate has overwhelmingly focused on the threat of tariffs from the United States. But there’s another crisis brewing in Canada’s most populous province—recent estimates of life satisfaction from Statistics Canada reveal a troubling reality about the well-being of Ontario residents. .

Compared to all other Canadian provinces, Ontario ranks lowest in reported levels of life satisfaction—in a stark contrast to neighboring Quebec, where 58.4 per cent of residents report high levels of life satisfaction, compared to 45.4 per cent of Ontarians.

While many factors can influence life satisfaction, including cultural and individual characteristics, a closer examination shows that Ontarians don’t have many reasons to be joyful. Additional estimates from Statistics Canada show that, compared to the national average, Ontario residents are more likely to report financial strain, express distrust in their educational system, and report poor mental health—portraying complex combinations that systematically erode quality of life.

Indeed, paying the bills has become a challenge for many Ontarians. Housing costs in Ontario are among the highest in Canada, prompting an increase in the number of individuals experiencing housing instability and homelessness. The growing cost of keeping a roof over one’s head has also intensified a food insecurity crisis, leading over one million Ontarians to seek the assistance of food banks between 2023 and 2024.

The public safety net is not there to support the population during these tough times. As CCPA has systematically documented, the chronic underfunding of public services in Ontario is a structural issue. Despite boasting a substantial $1.05 trillion GDP, Ontario falls $3,863 behind the national average on per capita spending, allocating about 75 cents for every dollar invested in public programs by other provinces.

There are also no indications that the provincial government is doing anything to change this. The latest provincial budget ignored this troubling trend, seemingly indifferent to mounting social challenges it is inflicting the population. The budget included explicit cuts to areas such as post-secondary education and justice spending. In addition, while the nominal budget for areas such as education, health care, and social services increased, when inflation and population growth are accounted for, we see a decline in provincial public spending.

In education, the government has employed strategic accounting techniques to mask significant cuts to classroom resources, such as the “planning provision” which comprises 4.85 per cent of core education funding and cannot be spent at school boards’ discretion.  As a result, the province has effectively reduced per-student funding by $1,500 since the 2018-19 fiscal year.

Today, classrooms across Ontario have 4,990 fewer educators than they would have if these cuts had not been implemented.

Proposed changes to Ontario’s health care system are also not making things better. Ontario’s plan to expand publicly funded surgeries in for-profit facilities poses significant risks to public health care, with the potential to compromise patient safety, create financial conflicts of interest in medical decision-making, and allow private investors to permanently alter Ontario’s health care infrastructure.

It’s no surprise Ontarians are gloomy. As we head into this election, it is essential to keep in mind the disconnect between Ontario’s substantial economic potential and its minimal public service investment. No matter which party takes power, any government that cares about Ontarians needs to make fixing this is a priority.