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Big Talk, Small Moves: Ontario’s Budget and the Innovation Gap
Plus: A New Fact About Resilient People
Notable Daily
May 20, 2025
What’s In This Email
Big Talk, Small Moves: Ontario’s Budget and the Innovation Gap
How To Start Acting & Planning Your Life Like a Main Character
A New Fact About Resilient People
Notable Spotlight: 35th Anniversary: InsideOut Festival
Notable Plug 🔌
✍️ TAKE NOTE
Here’s How Ontario’s Budget Left Tech Leaders Hanging — Again
Ontario’s latest budget just dropped, and if you’re part of the startup or tech world, you might want to lower your expectations. Despite a public push from over 75 tech CEOs who asked Premier Doug Ford to step up and invest in innovation, the provincial government’s 2025 budget doesn’t go as far as many were hoping.
Yes, there were a few nods to tech. But overall? It feels like a missed opportunity for a province that says it wants to lead on innovation.
Key Takeaways
1. Some Support, But Not Bold Moves
The budget includes $90 million in new funding for Venture Ontario. Half of that is going toward buzzy sectors like AI, defense tech, and cybersecurity. The other half is aimed at life sciences and biomanufacturing. That’s helpful, but far from game-changing.
2. Big Bet on Automotive Tech
The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is getting $73 million to keep driving automotive and mobility tech forward — a continuation of past support, not a reinvention.
3. STEM Stays in Focus
One of the bigger investments is a $750 million commitment to STEM education and training. This could pay off long-term, but it doesn’t address the urgent gaps startup founders are flagging right now.
4. Crickets on Health Innovation
Nothing new was announced for the Health Innovation Pathway (HIP) — a program meant to help new healthtech solutions navigate government procurement. For companies in digital health, this silence is frustrating.
Why It Matters: Ontario has the talent, the ideas, and the ecosystem to be a legit global player in innovation but it needs consistent, forward-thinking public investment to get there. Right now, many in the tech community feel like the province is playing it safe at a time when bold moves are needed.
This budget sends a message: innovation is on the radar, but it’s not a top priority. For founders building in Ontario especially in healthtech, cleantech, or early-stage AI — that’s a tough pill to swallow.
The worry? Without a stronger show of support, homegrown companies may start scaling elsewhere.
🌐 AROUND THE INTERWEBS
If you’re not sure what you should be doing next, try looking at your life like a movie plot and yourself the main character!
There’s a new fact about resilient people and it has to directly do with their humour. Can you guess?
🔦 NOTABLE SPOTLIGHT 🔦
InsideOut Festival
The Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival is back in Toronto, May 23 to June 1, 2025.
🔌 NOTABLE PLUG
🎙️ Get Into It: Millennial Minimalists. Canadian millennials Kelly and Lauren share their journey towards a simpler, more intentional lifestyle, offering practical tips on minimalism and mindful living. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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🧠 Today We Learned: For a 8 year streak(1990-1998) Michael Jordan never lost more than 2 games in a row, tallying up to 626 games total.
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