Who are the highest paid public sector workers in Waterloo Region and Guelph?

Conestoga College's John Tibbits Campus in Waterloo.

The top public earner in Waterloo Region and Guelph works at a local college.

According to Ontario’s 2024 sunshine list, Conestoga College’s President John Tibbits pulled down the highest public sector salary locally. Grand River Hospital President and CEO Ron Gagnon followed with a salary of $591,247 and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Director Robert Myers was third with a salary of $573,185. The trio also made up 2023’s top three earners, however Gagnon claimed the highest salary that year.

The list, released Friday, names public sector workers with salaries surpassing $100,000.

Once again, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) President Kenneth Hartwick was listed as the top earner throughout the province, with a salary of more than $2 million.

Here’s a look at some of the highest-paid public sector employees in Waterloo Region and Guelph:

Municipal governance

Waterloo Region Chair Karen Redman - $196,011.24 salary and $17,265.42 taxable benefits

Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie - $160,137.90 salary and $6,281.50 taxable benefits

Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett - $118,647.95 salary and $2,127.68 taxable benefits

Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe - $114,611.61 salary and $8,729.80 taxable benefits

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic - $112,857.44 salary and $814.16 taxable benefits

Education

Conestoga College President John Tibbits - $636,106.70 salary and $3,898.71 taxable benefits

University of Waterloo President Vivek Goel - $515,000.04 salary and $2,144.44 taxable benefits

Guelph University President Charlotte Yates - $443,856.60 salary and $20,725.60 taxable benefits

Wilfrid Laurier University President Deborah MacLatchy - $404,250.04 salary and $1,365.10 taxable benefits

Former Waterloo Region District School Board Director of Education jeewan chanicka* - $322,065.87 salary and $182.66 taxable benefits

Upper Grand District School Board Director of Education Peter Sovran - $275,741.47 salary and $98.34 taxable benefits

Waterloo Catholic District School Board Director of Education Tyrone Dowling - $266,060.35 salary and $0.000 taxable benefits

Editors note: jeewan chanicka intentionally does not capitalize his name

Emergency services

Waterloo Regional Police Service Chief Mark Crowell - $350,652.91 salary and $1,756.62 taxable benefits

Guelph Police Service Chief Gordon Cobey - $288,526.06 salary and $20,636.39 taxable benefits

Cambridge Fire Department Chief Robin Martin - $205,144.87 salary and $5,892.01 taxable benefits

Kitchener Fire Department Chief Robert Gilmore - $202,818.17 salary and $5,237.52 taxable benefits

Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service Chief Stephen Dewar - $201,987.57 salary and $8,677.24 taxable benefits

Waterloo Fire Rescue Chief Richard Hepditch - $200,882.00 salary and $4,094.88 taxable benefits

Region of Waterloo Paramedic Service Chief John Riches - $196.828.81 salary and $933.75 taxable benefits

Other top local earners

Grand River Hospital President and CEO Ron Gagnon - $591,247.93 salary and $2923.88 taxable benefits

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Director Robert Myers - $573,185.80 salary and $560.93 taxable benefits

Former Communitech CEO Chris Albinson - $471,115.38 salary and $567.60 taxable benefits

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Managing Director and COO Paul Smith - $409,600.64 salary and $916.44 taxable benefits

University of Waterloo Vice-President Academic and Provost James Rush - $400,000.08 salary and $11,308.32 taxable benefits

Is $100,000 too low a threshold for the sunshine list?

This year, a total of 377,666 employees made Ontario’s sunshine list, up from 300,680 in 2023.

The list was first launched in 1996 as part of legislation meant to encourage transparency in Ontario spending.

The threshold has not changed since then, despite inflation and a generally higher cost of living