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The need for free legal help is growing fast across Canada. For low-income individuals facing job loss, eviction, debt, or discrimination, pro bono lawyers are often the only line of defence. And the divide between demand and capacity is staggering.
“Our largest program, the free legal advice hotline, was able to answer 29,000 of 200,000 calls last year,” says Kirsti McHenry, executive director of Pro Bono Ontario (PBO), a founding supporter of the 5-Star Pro Bono Firms report. “Every Ontarian deserves meaningful legal help, and every lawyer has a role to play.”
If she could ask firms one question about their pro bono commitment, it would be: “If every lawyer in your firm contributed a few hours of their time in 2026 to pro bono service, how many lives could you change, and how can we help you make that happen?”
Canadian Lawyer’s third annual report celebrates the law firms and in-house legal departments rising to the challenge of the widespread needs and making the greatest impact.
Winners were selected based on the strength of their programs and the depth of their institutional support for pro bono work.
Submissions were reviewed by PBO and CL’s editorial team. Final selections were benchmarked against peer entries to determine the top 10 5-Star Pro Bono Firms and five leading in-house law groups for 2025.
The publication’s 2025 data shows encouraging momentum in certain areas of pro bono engagement, even as some long-standing challenges persist.
This year’s research also reveals a continued decline in traditional barriers to pro bono participation, suggesting greater access to opportunities and better conflict management processes across Canadian law firms.
Deb Templer, vice chair of PBO’s board, credits the Law Society of Ontario for amending its conflict rules to facilitate the provision of short-term pro bono services.
“Many major Canadian companies and financial institutions have also partnered with us to provide advance conflict waivers,” she says. “As a result, firms that once hesitated to engage due to business conflicts are now fielding requests from their clients to partner on pro bono initiatives. Conflicts arise, but they can be managed effectively.”
Sarah Armstrong, chair of PBO’s board, adds that strong partnerships with provincial programs help manage potential issues early on.
“This includes developing risk-managed programs that conform with amended conflict rules and collecting information to help identify potential conflicts early in the process,” she says.
This upswing points to stronger collaboration between firms and access-to-justice organizations and improved systems for connecting lawyers with meaningful cases.
Armstrong notes that PBO’s mission is to lower barriers and make participation easier.
“We help develop firm pro bono policies, offer manageable opportunities, like a four-hour hotline shift or limited-scope work, provide extensive training and volunteer support, and LawPRO extends malpractice coverage to PBO volunteers,” she says.
McHenry says the nature of legal problems facing low-income Canadians continues to grow in complexity, especially in areas such as employment, where economic instability creates fresh waves of legal need.
“Low-income Canadians often face destabilizing legal problems caused by forces beyond their control,” she explains. “We are already seeing more calls relating to employment as people worry about layoffs flowing from tariff news and a downturn in the economy.”
While many lawyers hesitate to assist with unfamiliar issues, McHenry says PBO provides robust support, and most volunteers find they’re more prepared than they think.
“Many of our volunteers are concerned about their ability to help people with their legal needs, but we offer robust support for all our volunteers,” she says. “Seventy-two percent of our clients can resolve their legal problems after just a few calls to the hotline, which shows how effective our volunteers are.”
Templer underscores that structured support is central to volunteer success.
“PBO invests significantly in providing CPD and access to comprehensive knowledge resources,” she says. “Our staff lawyers can provide their mentorship and expertise to volunteers, whether on the hotline or representing clients.”
According to Armstrong, the most effective way to ease that pressure is to recognize pro bono contributions formally.
“The best and most effective way to help lawyers balance billable work and pro bono work is to provide billable hour credit for pro bono hours,” she says. “Many firms provide up to 50 hours of billable hour credit for pro bono work, and others have no limit.”
She also points to a creative strategy gaining traction, which involves integrating pro bono work into relationship-building and professional development.
“Many of our volunteer firms and legal departments staff the hotline together. Lawyers from firms and in-house teams share the experience of helping people on the hotline and strengthen their relationships.”
These approaches support capacity and also help to entrench pro bono into the fabric of legal practice.
McHenry agrees that skill development is a powerful motivator.
“Lawyers are also increasingly seeing the value of pro bono work in helping them develop skills and get experiences they need to progress in their careers,” she notes. “Choosing volunteer opportunities that help you give back while building your skills is a great way to manage the challenge of finding time to volunteer.”
Comparative analysis of Canadian law firms’ attitudes toward pro bono work in 2024 and 2025, focusing on the main challenges they face. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 (low challenge) to 5 (high challenge).
This year’s standout law firms demonstrate that pro bono work is central to legal excellence across Canada.
Black & Associates
All lawyers to dedicate one-third of their practice to pro bono work
The firm's thriving pro bono practice includes the development of tort law, access to justice for victims of family violence and abuse, and employment law.
Katie Black and Desneiges Mitchell stood out for providing life-changing legal support to the marginalized, victims of abuse, and the broader community while inspiring a strong culture of service across the firm.
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
The firm contributed over 14,400 pro bono hours in 2024, with a strong focus on advancing 2SLGBTQ+ rights through high-impact litigation and community advocacy.
Brendan MacArthur-Stevens stood out for his national leadership, including multiple Supreme Court interventions and founding Alberta’s first legal clinic for transgender clients.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
The firm provided wide-ranging pro bono support in 2024, successfully challenging discrimination in anti-doping proceedings, and advancing access to justice through partnerships with organizations including Pro Bono Ontario, LEAF, and Aboriginal Legal Services.
Matthew Schneider and Aidan Paul stood out for their leadership in landmark veterans’ rights cases, achieving court decisions in Pelletier v. Canada and Christie v. Canada that advanced justice for injured veterans.
CIBC Legal Department
Pro bono initiatives are supported through CIBC Legal’s volunteer inclusion and diversity team, a 12-member group sponsored by the vice president and deputy general counsel and focused on advancing access to justice alongside broader EDI priorities.
Jackie Moher stood out for her leadership in championing the Pro Bono Ontario free legal advice hotline, directly increasing volunteer participation and inspiring others through mentorship and advocacy.
Dentalcorp Health Services Ltd.
The law group launched its first partnership with PBO in 2024 by hosting a hotline sponsor day, bringing together lawyers, paralegals, and law clerks to provide much-needed legal support both independently and as part of a hotline sponsor day.
Lenczner Slaght LLP
Encourages a firmwide culture of pro bono service, empowering lawyers to take on meaningful cases and fostering partnerships with organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
McMillan LLP
Provided approximately $1 million in pro bono legal services in 2024, building on a long history of advancing equality rights and access to justice
Gemma Healy-Murphy stood out for her dedicated pro bono advocacy, acting as counsel to a resident of reserve lands in Northern Ontario facing eviction by her Band in a complex constitutional and jurisdictional case.
Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Devotes thousands of pro bono hours annually to systemic issues such as housing rights, justice for Indigenous peoples, and refugee protection
Full-time pro bono counsel and a formal strategic plan
Brian Daley stood out for his leadership on a constitutional challenge defending unhoused Quebecers and for initiating the firm’s volunteer work supporting refugee claimants in Quebec.
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Engaged more than 60 percent of its partners, associates, and staff in wide-ranging pro bono efforts that align with their respective interests across Canada and beyond
Donating over 17,500 pro bono hours through its formalized, grassroots program
Graeme Rotrand stood out for his national leadership of Osler’s CERB/CRB program, helping low-income Canadians challenge benefit repayment demands and securing life-changing outcomes through administrative settlements and court victories.
Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP
Maintains a long-standing pro bono culture, with lawyers encouraged to take on precedent-setting Charter cases, volunteer as duty counsel, and support organizations through board service and legal advice
Pink Larkin
Employs a full-time, paid pro bono lawyer dedicated exclusively to community organizations and focuses on high-impact cases that drive systemic reform, inform legislative change
Since joining the firm in 2017, Vince Calderhead has devoted his entire practice to pro bono work, leading transformative cases for marginalized communities and securing Canada’s largest general damages award for a human rights violation in the landmark Disability Rights Coalition case.
PooranLaw Professional Corporation
Fully funds and operates the unique I Decide Law Program™, which advances decision-making rights and individualized planning for Ontarians with intellectual disabilities living in poverty
Brendon Pooran stood out for his leadership as founder and managing partner, using the law to advance equity and inclusion and supporting a dedicated pro bono team.
Shell Canada
Pro bono efforts are guided by a dedicated committee of senior legal counsel working with leadership to promote meaningful opportunities and community engagement.
Caleigh Hanks stood out for her long-standing leadership and collaborative approach, championing initiatives including a bespoke mentorship program with the University of Calgary Law School and partnerships with key community organizations.
Sun Life Legal Department
The department is developing a global pro bono program to expand its impact across the legal team’s international footprint.
Andrew Brown stood out for founding the program and global pro bono committee, and for leading two PBO hotline sponsor days in 2024 that assisted nearly 300 callers and secured financial support for the initiative.
Weston and Loblaw Legal Department
Partners with PBO and actively supports its leadership, with two senior lawyers serving on PBO’s board of directors
Shown from top to bottom and left to right are Sarah Lag, Amanda Sirotek, Lucie Atangana, Emily Conte, Babacar Faye, Katie Black, Kelli Day, Desneiges Mitchel (not shown), and Nicholas Valela (not shown).
For Black & Associates, its selected pro bono cases align with the firm’s core values of justice, equity, and seeking to maximize the positive impact that the team can make.
The firm believes the lawyer’s duty goes beyond representing clients, as they also serve the courts and the justice system.
The firm prioritizes:
seeking redress for victims of domestic and sexual violence
seeking redress for individuals living at or below the poverty line, whose employment and/or human rights have been violated
cases that can develop the common law to make society more just
“Every member of our team does pro bono work, and winning this (5-Star Pro Bono Firm) award is recognition for our entire team, because everybody contributes,” explains founder and corporate-commercial litigator Katie Black.
The firm’s pro bono work includes:
running the Ottawa pro bono employment law clinic from May to August each year since 2020, taking on employment law and human rights files for clients living at or below the poverty line
organizing and facilitating involvement from other area firms and partners with the University of Ottawa to bring law students to intern at the clinic, effectively building capacity within the region’s pro bono space
non-personal injury torts, constitutional law, sexual and domestic violence, and intimate partner harassment, among other areas
“Employment law is such a critical area because when employment rights are violated, when people are terminated without notice, it can push a family into poverty or place a family already in poverty into even greater financial hardship,” Black adds.
The firm uniquely provides full pro bono representation and continues to represent clients throughout the year in cases where human rights violations have been severe.
For national firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, pro bono work is built on a belief in using its legal expertise to serve communities across Canada and beyond.
Through its community law committee, the firm reviews proposals from lawyers and students across all offices, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and New York.
Each project is assessed for alignment with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt’s services, expertise, and values with most proposals approved.
“We have a pretty simple process, just an email outlining the scope of work, the individual or group involved, and the need,” explains partner Tommy Gelbman. “If a project requires a larger budget, we bring in our pricing team. But the goal is always the same, which is to give back in ways that are meaningful and aligned with what we do well.”
The firm’s pro bono efforts span a wide range of practice areas, including:
real estate, intellectual property, corporate advisory, and tax
youth-focused work, the arts, sports, and traditional litigation support
legal contributions that help corporate Canada support their own community initiatives
Gelbman adds, “There’s a misconception that pro bono means going to court. For us, it’s much broader. It’s about being active in our communities and using our legal tools to support a wide spectrum of needs.”
The firm tracks its pro bono participation each year to ensure its reach is broad and deep. From helping youth organizations to providing corporate advice that enables others to give back, the firm approaches community law as an extension of its core practice.
He adds, “We’ve built something that reflects our values, and we’re proud to see the impact across industries, communities, and causes.”
Toronto’s PooranLaw Professional Corporation’s approach to pro bono work is grounded in the firm’s core mission, removing the systemic barriers faced by people with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities.
The team focuses on cases that reflect this commitment, helping low-income Ontarians with intellectual disabilities who often face barriers at every turn in the legal system.
The ‘I Decide Law Program’™ promotes decision-making rights and person-directed planning to ensure their voices are heard and their autonomy respected.
The matters it takes on directly support the firm’s broader social impact goals, including:
advocating for decision-making rights
drafting estate planning documents
challenging guardianship where appropriate
supporting informed consent and healthcare decision-making
preventing and addressing abuse and exploitation
facilitating person-directed planning
providing reduced-rate wills and offering legal education and training sessions
“We recognize true access to justice goes beyond individual legal representation,” explains founder and managing partner Brendon Pooran.
The firm works alongside disability organizations and all levels of government to help shape reports, studies, and advocacy efforts that push for real change. Together, they’re focused on lifting the voices of those directly affected and building a more inclusive future.
The in-house legal team at Dentalcorp, the company that owns and operates about 570 dental clinics across Canada, is encouraged to give back to the community.
“For me, pro bono work has always been important,” says Julian Perez, chief risk and compliance officer, who was nominated and elected to the PBO board in April 2024.
“When I started my career, I deliberately chose a firm that recognized pro bono hours as 100 percent billable,” he adds. “Some of the earliest and most meaningful work I did as a lawyer was through that pro bono channel, which I’ve kept sacred throughout my career.”
Since last spring, Perez has made a concerted effort to encourage the legal team to give back, such as staffing PBO’s hotline for one day. He has also worked to connect Dentalcorp’s pro bono efforts to the broader legal community.
Key initiatives include:
Helped coordinate a second PBO sponsor day through the in-house lawyers’ network, Counselwell, where several of its lawyers attended
Inspired by 'Give Back, Smile Back,' the company’s long-standing program where dentists provide free dental care to people who cannot afford treatment, the legal team is encouraged to contribute in ways that reflect this commitment to community service.
Providing legal services for the public good is a core value at Black & Associates.
The legal team holds itself accountable to this commitment by:
having collection targets that enable a significant proportion of pro bono work
tracking pro bono work in its performance metrics
not differentiating between how it services paid and pro bono files
recognizing how clients have felt seen and empowered by their service
“Together, this recognizes pro bono work as an essential part of each lawyer’s employment obligations, professional development, and contribution to the firm,” notes Black.
Another key reason for emphasizing pro bono work is to instill a sense of happiness and fulfillment in its team members.
At Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, pro bono participation is nurtured through cultural tradition, clear policy, and strong internal support led, in part, by the firm’s long-standing community law committee.
Partner Mary Paterson says, “We wear it on our sleeves. We talk about it and encourage people to do pro bono work.”
The committee’s role supports active files and develops the firm’s pro bono presence.
“We view part of our role as making sure that people know they can do it, and letting them choose their own path,” she adds.
A key element of Osler’s approach is a policy that allows all approved pro bono hours to count toward billable targets, with no cap.
“That’s a big deal,” says Paterson. “If someone’s doing work that requires a big lift and falls within our policy, they get credit for it. They’re doing good but also learning and developing professionally.”
That policy stands as a cultural beacon, reinforcing that pro bono matters at every level of the firm, from articling students to senior partners.
The firm also maintains formal relationships with pro bono organizations across the country, including Pro Bono Ontario, Access to Justice BC, and local partnerships in Calgary and Montreal.
“That’s how you build something that lasts,” Paterson explains.
PooranLaw’s pro bono practice shapes its priorities and defines its approach to law, thanks to intentional systems and firm-wide commitments that focus on three features:
people
hours and targets
leadership
The team is committed to equity, inclusion, and access to justice. The firm has built a dedicated group around its pro bono initiatives, including lawyers, clerks, and students. And because of the full-time, full-service nature of the 'I Decide' program, nearly everyone at the firm has the opportunity to take part.
“This collective involvement reflects our belief that legal advocacy should be accessible to all,” explains Pooran.
Pro bono hours count toward billable targets, reinforcing that this work matters as much as paid client work.
Stephanie Dickson, one of Pooran’s partners, is responsible for leading the 'I Decide' program.
“Dedicating a partner’s time to pro bono work is an intentional decision that ensures sustained focus and provides the resources needed to make a real impact,” he adds. “It also sends a clear message to our entire team that we invest in what we believe in.”
At Dentalcorp, pro bono participation runs through the culture through leadership support, professional development opportunities, and a shared commitment to giving back.
“It really starts with our founder, Graham Rosenberg,” says Perez. “He’s always looked for ways to be positively involved with the community, to support people and institutions to improve society.”
Instead of setting strict rules, Perez explains that the team is given the freedom and flexibility to pursue pro bono work, without eating into their personal time, a simple but powerful approach that lowers barriers to participation.
By positioning pro bono as a form of community service and a tool for professional growth, Dentalcorp ensures that this work is fulfilling and also valuable to the business.
“It helps people sharpen their skills, develop new ones, and grow,” he adds.
Key elements of its approach include:
cultural encouragement over formal policy
leadership-supported flexibility to pursue pro bono
positioning pro bono as an opportunity for professional growth and skill development
focus on sustainability and long-term engagement
While Perez acknowledges that the firm’s pro bono efforts are still growing, the results speak for themselves. “It’s something we believe in very strongly, and the entire team has gotten behind it very quickly.”
For Black, the unmet legal needs of society that adversely affect low- and middle-income individuals and threaten the well-being of democracy are a prime motivator. She believes that if equality before the law is to remain the most inspiring ideal of society, justice must be the same in substance and availability without regard to economic status.
“I became a lawyer because there can be no equality before the law where a person’s ability to access their rights depends on how much money they have,” remarks Black.
“Access to courtrooms is only the tip of the iceberg. Access to justice, however, requires education about your rights and the ability to exercise them freely without fear that you won’t be able to stock your refrigerator. Unfortunately, these things are not within arm’s reach for so many Canadians.”
To lower these barriers to justice, Black asserts that the legal community has to do its share, and then some. She cites a Frederick Douglass quote that sparked her dedication to this urgent social mission when she was called to the bar: “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”
At one point in her career, Black helped co-create a refugee sponsorship support program with Ottawa colleagues that contributed to bringing 4,000 Syrian refugees to Canada.
“It will forever be the highlight of my career,” she recalls. “We’ve seen people transform their lives when they know they’re part of the community and not alone. You can help people move forward and achieve success they’ve wanted and deserve.”
Osler associate Graeme Rotrand first got involved in pro bono work through a conversation with the Income Security Advocacy Centre. What started as a small idea has since become a national initiative, active in every Osler office across Canada.
“It’s expanded from something we were just kicking around to a full program that’s now running in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal,” he says.
Rotrand helps lead a project that tackles judicial reviews for clients facing debt collection after allegedly receiving overpayments from government benefit programs such as CERB and CRB, who are often recent immigrants or vulnerable individuals unable to afford legal representation.
Firm leaders say that his work on these issues exemplifies the finest tradition of pro bono representation.
“These aren’t high-dollar files,” he explains. “We’re talking $20,000, $30,000, maybe $40,000, amounts that would take these clients years to repay. But the issues are complex. They’re full judicial reviews, and without legal help, people are going into court alone and getting bad outcomes. That’s what we’re trying to fix.”
He recently argued one of these cases in Federal Court.
“It was for a recent immigrant who just wouldn’t have been able to do it on his own,” he says. “It was great for the client, and it was great for me. I got to argue in court and gain experience I can apply to the rest of my work.”
That’s a big part of what keeps him involved.
“It makes me feel good, sure. But I’m also learning real skills. It’s meaningful.”
Partner Gelbman has also been involved in the CERB/CRB program for almost two years, and says the need is overwhelming among hardworking people.
“There’s a real access to justice issue here,” reflects Gelbman. “For a range of reasons, including language barriers and time constraints because people are working or caring for family, navigating these CERB clawback cases is incredibly difficult.”
And the stakes are high.
“The financial impact on individuals is significant, and CRA is taking unilateral collection action, withholding tax returns or benefit payments, which many rely on just to make ends meet,” he notes.
Growing up in the disability community, Pooran saw firsthand the many barriers people with intellectual disabilities face. That experience inspired him to pursue a legal career focused on removing those barriers, and he was fortunate to connect with like-minded people who shared that commitment.
“But we quickly realized there were very few firms offering the structure and flexibility to support this kind of focused work,” he reflects. “That challenge pushed us to reimagine what a legal practice could look like.”
Together with partner Cheryl Wiles Pooran, they built a model that lets a partner devote half their practice to pro bono work, creating space for meaningful advocacy to thrive without losing sight of long-term sustainability.
Since being called to the bar in 2019, Dentalcorp’s Vincent Rocheleau has dedicated a significant number of hours to pro bono work. Most recently, he dedicated time to PBO's education law program and provides L&E support to the Royal Ontario Museum.
“I’m very lucky in the sense that Julian (Perez) leads by example and created a program for the team to do pro bono work,” he says. “At the end of the day, you just want to help people, and you realize pretty quickly the legal system isn’t accessible to everyone. But when someone does get access to the right resources, you see the difference it makes.”
As Rocheleau’s career progressed, he took on francophone-focused work, particularly as it relates to the Education Act. He was a member of the Ontario Bar Association’s official languages committee, president of Franco-Fête de Toronto, and served on the board of the Canadian Club Toronto’s francophone business networking group.
Provincial pro bono groups share their views on Canada’s most pressing access to justice issues.
Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan: executive director and staff lawyer Carly Romanow
Canadian Lawyer (CL): How are firms successfully balancing billable work and volunteer commitments?
Carly Romanow (CR): We have great firms that uphold the Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan Pro Bono Pledge, where firms recognize up to 50 hours of pro bono work as billable hours. This has been a great incentive to attract and maintain volunteer lawyers at firms that uphold the Pledge.
CL: How has the complexity of client needs changed recently?
CR: We are always faced with areas of law that our volunteer lawyers in firms and/or government organizations do not regularly practice, such as tenant side legal matters, prison law issues, or workers’ compensation claims. We have seen an increase in demand for services for newcomers to Canada whether that’s directly related to their immigration or refugee status, but also with other areas of law such as residential tenancies, but they require more assistance, such as translation and financial support.
CL: What types of training and mentorship help firms take on pro bono cases more confidently?
CR: Our office provides training twice a year in the operations of our organization and how to volunteer. We also have quarterly virtual volunteer socials where volunteers can gather to exchange ideas and information about their client files. Our staff is also available to all of our volunteers to ask questions, discuss a client or ask for resources. We recently piloted a new project in 2024–25, where articling students shadow volunteer lawyers at their Free Legal Clinic appointments. The volunteer lawyer and articling student are put in touch prior to the clinic to discuss the client appointments and can continue to stay in touch afterwards to debrief. Articling student volunteers are also offered as an option for assistance to volunteer lawyers who take on clients’ files for more than the one-hour clinic appointment.
CL: Have you seen improvements in how firms handle conflict of interest?
CR: Our current Law Society rules are very flexible on conflict checks. As well, due to our small legal profession population, we know our firms and volunteer lawyers very well to know what types of clients we should book with them.
CL: How do firms in your province find pro bono opportunities more easily?
CR: Our office tries to keep in regular contact with the Law Society of Saskatchewan membership through news updates in communications circulated by our Law Society. We also have social events throughout the year where firms and lawyers are encouraged to attend and get to know our office.
CL: How can access-to-justice organizations and firms keep strengthening these connections?
CR: Firm support, either through volunteers or donations, is always welcome.
CL: What’s one question you’d ask every law firm heading into 2026?
CR: How can our office help to meet or increase your pro bono contributions in 2026?
Canadian Lawyer’s third annual 5-Star Pro Bono Firms special report recognizes Canada’s law firms that demonstrate pro bono infrastructure at an institutional level. The assessment criteria are evidence of pro bono infrastructure (e.g., pro bono committee, ability to quantify partner participation, etc.), count of pro bono time as billable time/toward targets (for large/national firms only), cost awards/charitable giving to access-to-justice organizations, and minimum five hours per lawyer pro bono time or active pro bono programs for in-house legal departments.
Nominations were reviewed by Pro Bono Ontario and the Canadian Lawyer editorial team, who evaluated each submission based on the firm’s impact and contribution to the legal community. Final selections were benchmarked against peer entries to identify the top 10 5-Star Pro Bono Firms and Top 5 Law Groups.
The 5-Star Pro Bono Firms report is proudly supported by Pro Bono Ontario.