griftco ontario

Ontario government invested in company called 'Griftco' and it somehow gets funnier

Doug Ford's government invested in some suspicious-sounding mining companies, like "Griftco" and "Money Money Money," according to an eyebrow-raising article published by the Globe and Mail on Tuesday.

According to The Globe, Griftco was just one of approximately 100 companies awarded funding under the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP) in 2023, receiving just over $66k in taxpayer money.

And if the name Griftco wasn't already hilarious enough for you, the company's mining operation is based in Butt Township, within Nipissing District. Griftco is mining from Butt.

The questionable name for the mining exploration company is apparently an inside joke that was elevated to a company name by Griftco principal and Bay Street lawyer Chris Irwin, who told the Globe that the branding choice was meant to read as "ironic."

But that information hasn't stopped people from poking fun at the provincial government for investing in a company with a name that seemingly implies some kind of swindle.

Regardless of the company's name origin, members of the public were quick to make light of the Ford government's choice to do business with a company called Griftco amid the premier's scandal-plagued second term at Queen's Park.

In addition to its investment in Griftco, the government's OJEP program also poured almost $27,500 into a company called Money Money Money based in Wawa, which, despite its name, apparently needed more money from taxpayers.

Lead photo by

Evgeny_V/Shutterstock


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