About government information

Ontario creates and manages many types of information on government programs, services, operations and activities. By sharing this information with you, we hope you can find the information you need to understand what the government is working on, to provide input and get involved.

Through open information, we are working to:

  • provide easier access to information created by or for government
  • offer insight into how government operates and how decisions are made
  • increase transparency about government spending
  • share knowledge about how policies are designed, consulted on and implemented
  • provide access to policies and research on subjects that are of interest to the public
  • promote accountable reporting on the government’s performance

Government directives

As an important step forward, we have begun releasing internal government directives.

We are sharing directives online to help you better understand how decisions are made inside government.

Visit our government directives page to learn more.

Examples of government information

Type of information Examples

Corporate directives and policies

Financial information

Performance reports

Mandates and strategies

Government publications

Research

Legal information

Broader public sector information

Government publications

The government maintains a large inventory of documents that are intended for distribution to the general public. The majority of these publications can be found through Publications Ontario. Digital publications are typically available for free.

If you can’t find the publication you are looking for through Publications Ontario, check the website of the ministry or agency that created it, or contact the ministry or agency directly.

Information requests

If the information you’re looking for is not easily found or unavailable, you can request it – under law – by making a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Make an FOI request

Data and performance metrics

If you’re looking for data on government programs, services, operations and results, you can start by browsing our open data catalogue.

We are continually publishing data sets in open, machine-readable formats that can be used to analyze, visualize and learn more about government.

Visit Ontario’s open data catalogue

How government works

The Ontario government employs tens of thousands of employees and oversees many programs and services for people.

Learn more about the government