The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has officially launched an investigation into Keel Digital Solutions — a company that received tens of millions of dollars in public funding through a controversial jobs-training program and multiple provincial ministries.
The move comes after the Ford government handed over the findings of a forensic audit into Keel Digital Solutions and its subsidiary, Get-A-Head. For weeks, the $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund (SDF) has been under intense scrutiny at Queen’s Park, with opposition parties accusing the PCs of using it as a political “slush fund.”
OPP Confirms Probe Is Underway
In a statement Monday, OPP spokesperson Gosia Puzio confirmed the Anti-Rackets Branch will move ahead with a formal investigation.
“The OPP Anti-Rackets Branch has completed its review and will be proceeding with an investigation,” Puzio said.
“At this time, we cannot release any details or speculate on how long the investigation will take.”
The investigation follows concerns raised in a government-ordered forensic audit, triggered by irregularities uncovered during a routine financial review of Get-A-Head in 2023.
Keel Denies Wrongdoing, Says It’s Being Scapegoated
Keel Digital Solutions maintains that it has followed all rules and contract obligations, arguing that it is being unfairly targeted amid political controversy surrounding the SDF.
In a statement, Chief Operating Officer Jay Fischbach said the company welcomes the police investigation:
“Keel remains steadfast in its assertion that it has complied with all laws and contract obligations. We welcome the OPP and will be completely transparent and co-operative. We look forward to the government’s apology at the end of this, and we remain focused on facilitating mental-health supports for the province’s most vulnerable communities.”
Funding Under Examination
Government records show Get-A-Head received significant sums from several ministries:
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$32.74 million from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities between 2022 and 2025
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$12.75 million of that came in the most recent fiscal year
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$1.8 million from the Ministry of Health in the same year
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$2.3 million from the Labour Ministry’s Skills Development Fund
The Auditor General flagged the SDF program in October, stating its funding decisions lacked transparency, fairness, and accountability.
Political Connections Raise Questions
The controversy deepened after revelations of close social ties between Keel executives, lobbyists, and government officials.
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Former Labour Minister David Piccini — who previously oversaw the SDF — was photographed in rink-side seats at a Toronto Maple Leafs game with Keel director Peter Zakarow.
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Piccini claimed he paid for the tickets himself.
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CTV News later reported the seats were season tickets owned by the Zakarow family.
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The Ontario NDP has also filed an integrity complaint after Piccini reportedly attended a Paris wedding for Keel lobbyist Michael Rudderham, a close friend.
Piccini has acknowledged intervening personally to approve the grant to Keel.
Opposition Parties Demand Answers
Ontario’s Liberal Party is calling on the government to release more details about the initial audit, including when it began, when it concluded, and how much money Keel received after concerns were first raised.
In a statement, the party said:
“No company that has been flagged for a forensic audit should be collecting money from taxpayers — especially when the company’s lobbyist is the Minister of Labour’s close personal friend, and one of its directors was seated in family-owned rinkside seats with that same minister at a Toronto Maple Leafs game.”
With the OPP now formally involved, the government faces increasing pressure to explain how such large grants were approved — and whether oversight failed within one of the province’s largest job-training initiatives.
