Vaughan, Ont., officials racked up tens of thousands in costs for an investment trip to Italy two years ago, Global News has learned, with business meetings, sightseeing and a winery tour part of a mission where more than $1,700 was expensed for Ubers.

New documents obtained after a protracted freedom of information negotiation with the City of Vaughan shed light on a 10-day European trip in the summer of 2024.

They show the international trade mission had six attendees head overseas from the Toronto-area municipality, running a tab of thousands of dollars to try to bring investment back to Ontario.

Deputy Mayor Linda Jackson and Coun. Mario Ferri were the two elected officials who went on the mission. They were joined by Jackson’s executive assistant and three municipal staffers from Vaughan’s economic development department.

According to hundreds of pages of receipts, calendars, emails and credit card statements, the trade mission left from Toronto Pearson International Airport on July 3, 2024.

The group visited a town in Lazio before travelling to Milan, ending their trip in Rome and returning home 10 days after they left.

The expenditures reviewed by Global News offer an insight into a trip where the Vaughan delegation hailed taxis to travel distances of less than two kilometres, spent thousands on a chartered bus and was scheduled to take time for sightseeing.

Officials and councillors also met with a series of local businesses, Italian elected officials and business groups like chambers of commerce.

“It just doesn’t seem like a good use of these councillors’ time and a good use of money to fund these meetings,” Noah Jarvis, Ontario director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said.

“I don’t know why they couldn’t just have a Zoom call. Zoom is pretty popular, we’ve been using it for six years since 2020. I’m not sure why they couldn’t use Zoom.”

The City of Vaughan defended the trip and the leads it had generated.

“The City believes the mission was productive in advancing both economic and cultural development, in addition to intergovernmental objectives,” a spokesperson wrote in response to questions from Global News.

“The mission resulted in engagement with several companies and trade, investment and economic development organizations, while strengthening relationships with national government representatives and partners in Sora, Milan and Verona. It also created new opportunities to support trade, investment and talent development initiatives.”

The city said the total budget for the trip was $120,000, which included $30,000 in federal funding. Some expenses were also paid from councillors’ expense accounts.

Almost $2K spent on Ubers

The records show that, over the course of the 10-day trip, the Vaughan delegation spent close to $2,000 booking Ubers to take them around Milan and Rome.

Receipts reviewed by Global News list a range of Uber journeys associated with the trip at a cost of more than $1,700, including some journeys of three kilometres or less and one $22 penalty for cancelling a ride.

Throughout the 2024 summer trip to Italy, staff and the councillors appear to have relied heavily on the ride-hailing service.

On July 10, for example, the group expensed $31.79 for a 900-metre Uber near Rome’s main train station. The receipt shows the ride took four minutes for a journey Google Maps says would take about five minutes to walk.

“It was about 32 bucks for a 900-metre Uber ride,” Jarvis said. “I mean, clearly these councillors weren’t really trying very hard when it came to being frugal with how they’re billing taxpayers.”

Three days later, the delegation booked a $54.84 Uber to travel 1.8 kilometres in the same area. They also expensed $77.34 to travel 2.2 kilometres near the Tiber River.

Other Uber rides on the mission cost substantially more.

On July 13, the Canadian visitors took a 30-kilometre, 41-minute trip back to the airport for just over $185, while a 19-kilometre Uber in Milan cost $139.61.

Another trip labelled in the documents as “dinner to hotel” cost $112.69.

“Ground transportation was arranged to ensure mission delegates could get to and from engagements on time,” the City of Vaughan wrote in response to questions.

“No policy prohibits this type of use.”

The receipts for the Ubers show they were all booked by members of the trade delegation, although it is not clear from the documents who took part in each ride.

Elsewhere, the delegation travelled from Rome to Milan and back by train and expensed thousands of dollars in airfare to get from Toronto to Rome.

Staff also paid $4,247.46 to charter a bus for several days.

Sightseeing tour and aperitif by the lake

Calendars, schedules and itineraries included in the documents released to Global News also shed some light on what the two councillors and city staff were scheduled to do during their 10-day trip to Italy.

The first stop on the mission, after landing in Rome, was a trip to the historic town of Sora, a municipality nestled in Lazio which has had a friendship agreement with Vaughan since 1992.

Once they had arrived in Sora, the delegation was meant to take part in a working dinner before turning in for the night. Schedules prepared for the trip said they spent the following day in meetings, at a brunch and renewing the agreement between the two towns.

The next morning, the delegation was scheduled to go on a tour to visit the local museum, library, a church and a cathedral. Then they were supposed to take part in a workshop on Ciammella, a ring-shaped Italian cake. Next, the delegation was scheduled to have lunch and take part in “traditional pasta tastings.”

After lunch, the Vaughan delegation’s itinerary had them continue their tour of the town, visiting more churches, an abbey and a paper mill. The second full day of the trade mission was set to conclude with an aperitif by a local lake and a period of “unstructured time” in the town.

A spokesperson for Vaughan said the pasta tasting and cake workshop ultimately did not take place.

“This proposed agenda item by Sora officials did not take place,” they wrote, pointing to a public report about the trip.

The report included few details of how the delegation spent its time in the city.

“During the 2024 mission to Sora, the City of Vaughan delegation met with Sora’s Mayor and Council and renewed the friendship agreement under-delegated authority from Council to the Deputy Mayor,” it read.

“The delegation solidified the existing partnership and crafted a list of partnership opportunities to further cement the relationship.”

The city also sent Global News a daily memo of events in response to questions. The document appeared to reference more local meetings rather than tours, but did not include an hour-by-hour schedule of events like the ones released through freedom of information.

The following day, July 7, calendars show the Vaughan delegation was scheduled to leave the town, head back to Rome and then take a train to Milan.

In the north, the group was set to meet more local businesses and chambers of commerce.

Among the events was a meeting with the restaurant group Eataly — which already has multiple locations across Toronto — to convince them to open a Vaughan store. The delegation also toured Corte Fornaledo, a local winery.

By July 10, the Vaughan delegation was ready to leave Milan and head back to Rome. The calendars show there were more meetings in Rome with trade representatives and a reception hosted by Air Canada.

The schedule also included a trip to visit the ambassador to the Vatican, with the last official meeting ending at midday on July 12.

The City of Vaughan said that meeting was scrapped at the last minute.

“The meeting with the Ambassador to the Vatican was cancelled by the Embassy the morning it was to take place,” a spokesperson wrote.

“It was intended to strengthen relationships that are important to Vaughan’s Italian heritage and Roman Catholic communities and to have discussions around interfaith dialogue.”

City, councillors defend trip

The City of Vaughan said the trip had been successful in strengthening ties between the Ontario municipality and various groups in Italy.

The results, a spokesperson said, would be seen over time.

“Foreign direct investment is a long-term process that involves ongoing engagement and relationship building,” they wrote.

“The City continues to support several investment leads resulting from its international economic development activities. In addition, international economic missions are undertaken to explore collaborative opportunities to encourage trade. The Delegation met with various economic development stakeholders who now champion Vaughan’s economy and the trade and investment opportunities in Italy.”

The city added that the 2024 trip meshed with federal policy priorities to diversify Canadian trade beyond the United States.

“Vaughan continues to work to help Canada achieve its current ten-year target to double its non-U.S. exports and generate an extra $300 billion in trade,” they wrote.

Both Jackson and Ferri responded to Global News’ questions through the City of Vaughan’s communications department, broadly reiterating the answers city staff sent.

“The City of Sora and the City of Vaughan share a partnership dating back to 1992. Vaughan is home to many from the Sora diaspora with strong ties remaining both economically and culturally between the two cities,” Jackson wrote.

“This mission was an opportunity to formally renew the partnership in a signing ceremony held on the first day and establish avenues for future collaboration.”

CHAPLEAU — The Ontario government is building a strong and self-reliant economy by investing over $17.3 million in four projects that will modernize forest sector manufacturing, enhance the industry’s competitive advantage and strengthen forestry supply chains by using more mill by‑products and underused wood known as forest biomass. The projects will create six good-paying jobs, protect over 320 existing positions and support more than 600 indirect jobs. This funding is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario forestry workers in the face of recent U.S. tariff attacks by building a more resilient, innovative and diversified forest sector, ready to compete in global markets.

“Our government is delivering on our forest sector roadmap by protecting jobs, modernizing businesses and unlocking markets for Ontario’s forest products,” said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products. “We are making strategic investments to build on the forest sector’s strengths and put our province at the centre of the global forest economy.”

The Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program and Forest Biomass Program investments will support four projects advancing the Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, the government’s 10-year plan to Defend, Adapt and Grow the province’s cornerstone industry:

Ontario’s investments will build a more integrated and resilient forest sector, ready to compete in changing global markets. The projects have the potential to add yearly demand for over 500,000 tonnes of forest biomass, accelerating forest sector productivity and reinforcing industry supply chains by creating business opportunity for harvesting, hauling and trucking.

These investments advance the Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, the government’s 10-year plan to Defend, Adapt and Grow the industry and maintain Ontario’s position as a G7 leader in making and selling forest products. The province will continue to make strategic investments that create and protect forestry jobs and ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector.

Quick Facts

Quotes

"As Ontario’s forestry sector continues to navigate a changing global market, our government is making strategic investments to facilitate its modernization and ensure businesses can remain competitive. By strengthening our domestic supply chains, we will cement Ontario’s position as a global leader in forest products and biomass materials, all while protecting the tens of thousands of workers in and adjacent to this critical industry."

- Vic FedeliMinister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

"Modernizing the forest sector allows projects like this one in Chapleau to expand, diversify, and invest in their operations—creating more opportunities for Northern Ontario and for the workers and families who call this community home."

- Bill RosenbergMPP, Algoma—Manitoulin

"This is an investment in the people of Chapleau. Modernizing the sawline and planer secures the mill's competitiveness for the long run, and the biofuel feasibility work could bring a whole new industry to the region—up to 30 direct jobs from wood fibre that today has limited markets. We're proud to build that future with the province."

- Joël FournierCEO, GreenFirst Forest Products

"Calstock has been converting biomass into electricity for this region since 2000, and modernizing the steam turbine control system is what keeps that going for years more. This investment upgrades critical control equipment, sustains the strong availability record the plant has built, and protects a reliable outlet for the biomass and mill by-products generated across the Hearst area."

- Dominic LemieuxGeneral Manager, Ontario Operations, Atlantic Power

"Our Elk Lake operation plays an important role in supporting jobs, families, and local businesses in northeastern Ontario. This investment will help strengthen the mill’s long-term competitiveness while supporting the broader forest sector value chain, including harvesting contractors, transportation providers, suppliers, and communities across the region. We appreciate the Province’s support for continued modernization investments, which help create the conditions needed for the forest sector to remain sustainable, innovative, and competitive, while providing rewarding long-term career opportunities for the next generation of forestry workers."

- Stuart CardVice-President, Eastern Operations, Interfor

"GreenFirst’s Chapleau sawmill is an important employer and a critical part of our local economy, with its impact reaching workers, families and businesses across the community. We have worked hard with GreenFirst, the province of Ontario, and the federal government to support the continued success of this operation, and today’s investment is welcome news for Chapleau. By improving productivity and strengthening the mill’s competitiveness, this project will help protect local jobs and support a stronger future for forestry in our community."

- Ryan BignucoloMayor of Chapleau

"OFIA welcomes these investments, which will help improve mill competitiveness and demonstrate the important role forest biomass can play in meeting Ontario’s energy needs, while creating new market opportunities and supporting communities across Northern Ontario."

- Maryam Arefmanesh, Ph.D.Director of Innovation, Energy and Manufacturing, Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA)

Business and economy

Information about Ontario’s economy and how to do business here. Includes economic development opportunities, research funding, tax credits for business and the Ontario Budget. Learn more

Environment and energy

Learn more about how Ontario protects and restores wildlife and the environment. Includes information on conservation and the electricity system. Learn more

Rural, agriculture and north

Information about Northern Ontario, agriculture and local food. Learn about funding programs that support rural, northern and Indigenous communities. Learn more

EAST GWILLIMBURY — The Ontario government is celebrating the start of construction on upgrades to the East Gwillimbury Sports Complex, supported by an investment of over $600,000 from the province’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF). The project will create good-paying jobs during construction while promoting active, healthy living and giving the next generation of East Gwillimbury athletes a place to train, compete and grow their skills.

“Our government is proud to support the Town of East Gwillimbury as construction gets underway on these important upgrades to the Sports Complex,” said Natalie Pierre, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Sport. “Through our historic $500 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, we’re helping communities modernize the facilities families and athletes rely on every day, while creating more opportunities for people of all ages to get active, develop their skills and stay healthy.”

The renovations will include comprehensive improvements to change rooms, showers, washrooms, building entrances and other amenities throughout the complex. The project will also upgrade customer service and concession counters, along with other facility enhancements, giving residents access to a modern, state-of-the-art recreation facility close to home. Construction for the renovations is expected to be completed by March 2027.

“Creating accessible spaces is about making sure every resident has the opportunity to participate and enjoy recreation in our community,” said Virginia Hackson, Mayor of East Gwillimbury. “We are grateful to the Government of Ontario for this important funding support to help make meaningful improvements to the Sports Complex. These upgrades will make the facility more welcoming and accessible for all residents, regardless of their disability status.”

This project is part of the government’s historic $500 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, which supports the repair, rehabilitation and construction of local sport and recreation facilities across the province. The program continues to support local community projects, creating good-paying jobs, promoting active, healthy living and giving the next generation of Ontario athletes a place to train and hone their skills.

Applications are currently being accepted for the next round of CSRIF until December 22, 2026.

The first round of CSRIF has already supported almost 100 projects, including the construction of 17 new facilities and repairs and updates to 77 projects, resulting in thousands of local jobs in construction. The recent expansion of CSRIF will make it the largest investment in sport and recreation infrastructure in Ontario’s history.

Quick Facts

In late August 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered that Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes, be renamed "Lake America" in government publications. Trump signed that executive order while he feuded with Canadian leaders over failed trade negotiations.

Some people on social media immediately claimed Trump wasn't even targeting a Canadian name in his apparent attempt at retaliation. One X user wrote (archived) that Lake Ontario was named by Indigenous tribes hundreds of years ago, and Canada's province of Ontario adopted the name later.

People made the same claim on Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived) and elsewhere on X (archived).

Preserved maps from early explorers show the name "Ontario" for the lake long before the province was labeled with the same name, which aligns with the lake's and province's histories as described by museums and historians. Therefore, we've rated this claim true.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, "Ontario" is thought to have come from an Iroquois word meaning "beautiful lake" or "sparkling water." Ontario's provincial government says the Iroquois word is "kanadario."

Other sources transliterate the word differently. The National Museum of the Great Lakes, says "Ontario" derived from the Huron (also known as the Wendat, who spoke an Iroquois language) word "Ontarí'io," meaning "great lake" or "beautiful water."

Either way, "Ontario" was an indigenous word referring to a body of water, not a piece of land.

"Ontario" was first applied to the lake by Europeans in 1641, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia, and appears on maps of North America as early as 1656.

The lake's name in the 1650 was in flux, at least for French cartographers exploring the area. Maps from 1653 and 1656 refer to the lake as, translated into English, Lake St. Louis or Lake Ontario. Notably, the 1656 map referred to the lake as Ontario first and Lake St. Louis second. Similarly, a map from 1657 called it Ontario Lake with a mention of the St. Louis name beneath it.

None of those maps labeled the land north of the lake, the present-day province of Ontario, as Ontario. In fact, this holds true even in a 1775 French map and a 1777 English map, both of which refer to the lake simply as "Lake Ontario."

The province of Ontario came into being in 1867, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia, when Britain's North American colonies joined together to become the Dominion of Canada. Before then, the land that's now Ontario was known as Upper Canada and Canada West. Prior to 1791, it was part of a singular province of Quebec that included both today's Ontario and Quebec.

While neither the Canadian Encyclopedia nor Canadian government webpages explicitly state that the province got its name from the lake, it at the very least used the name after the lake had long been called Ontario by the people around its shores.

For further reading, we previously investigated a claim that Trump demanded changes to Canada's French-language rules as part of a trade deal.