OPP Raids the Couch: $40M Mental Health Money Mystery
Ontario cops investigate Keel Digital after forensic audit flags “suspicious activity” in taxpayer-funded therapy grants
Hey folks, buckle up because Ontario’s government funding drama just got a whole lot spicier. If you’ve been following the headlines, you know the Skills Development Fund (SDF) has been a hot mess – think $2.5 billion tossed around like confetti at a bad party, with Auditor-General Shelley Spence calling it “not fair, transparent, or accountable” back in October. Now, enter Keel Digital Solutions, the company behind the Get A-Head online counseling platform, which has slurped up over $40 million in taxpayer cash since 2020. And guess what? The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are officially on the case, sniffing around for “suspicious activity” after a forensic audit waved some major red flags.
Let’s rewind a bit. Keel, a software outfit focused on mental health supports for students and vulnerable communities, started getting fat checks from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) in 2020-21. We’re talking $32.74 million from MCU alone, plus $1.85 million from Health and a cheeky $7.5 million from the SDF. (theglobeandmail) Sounds noble, right? Delivering virtual therapy during a pandemic? Sure. But a routine 2023 audit spotted “irregularities” in those MCU payments – think funky accounting or who-knows-what – sparking a deeper forensic dive by the Treasury Board Secretariat. (cbc) Fast-forward to November 2025: The forensic report lands, screams “OPP time!” and boom – within 24 hours, it’s referred to the cops’ Anti-Rackets Branch, the squad that handles white-collar shenanigans. (globalnews) On December 8, OPP confirmed they’re rolling with a full probe, but zipped their lips on details or timelines. “Can’t speculate,” they said, leaving us all hanging. Keel’s not backing down, though. COO Jay Fischbach fired off a statement: “We’ve complied with everything – laws, contracts, you name it. We’ll cooperate fully and can’t wait for that government apology.” (cbc) They claim the audit bungled basics like corporate taxes and not-for-profit rules, and accuse the Ford crew of mixing MCU funds with SDF drama to dodge the real heat. Speaking of which, Labour Minister David Piccini’s office greenlit Keel’s SDF grant despite low bureaucrat scores – and oh yeah, he hobnobbed at a lobbyist’s Paris wedding and rinkside Leafs tickets with a Keel director. Cozy, huh?
Opposition’s piling on. NDP’s Marit Stiles wants Piccini’s head for “gross mismanagement,” while Liberals’ John Fraser calls it another Ford flop, linking it to the ongoing RCMP Greenbelt probe. (theglobeandmail)
Premier’s office? Crickets on new deets, but they swear they acted fast.So, what’s the fallout? Over $40 mil in public dough under the microscope, eroding trust in how Ontario hands out grants. Is this isolated weirdness or a symptom of a bigger rot in the SDF sausage factory? As students wait for mental health help, we’re left wondering: Will the OPP uncover a smoking gun, or just more smoke and mirrors? Stay tuned – this one’s far from over.
