Recent social and economic reports paint grim picture for province of Ontario

Things are going from bad to worse in the province of Ontario.

In the last two days, two separate reports have painted a dire picture of Canada's most populous province.

On Wednesday, the Ontario Common Front released a report — called "Falling Behind: Ontario's Backslide into Widening Inequality, Growing Poverty and Cuts to Social Programs" — claiming Ontario sits in last place in Canada when it comes to every major social indicator including health care, education and social justice.

And it doesn't mince words about who's to blame.

"Most people would be shocked to know that Ontario has seen the largest increase in income inequality and the second largest jump in poverty rates in all of Canada," says Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan in the organization's press release.

"By cutting vital programs instead of reversing a decade of corporate tax cuts, the [Dalton McGuinty] government is handing our wealth over to bankers and CEOs. It is exacerbating inequality."

The report pulled together national research suggesting Ontario funds all of its social programs at the lowest rate in Canada, has the second highest increase in poverty rates and the highest tuition rates in the country.

The second report, a Fraser Institute study, decries Ontario for its economic stagnation.

It claims that Ontario lags behind most provinces in terms of total employment growth (eighth among the provinces) and private-sector employment growth (seventh among the provinces).

Ontario also has the lengthiest durations of unemployment.

"Ontario may be Canada's largest economy, but right now its labour market is slightly more attractive than that of only three Canadian provinces: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick," Amela Karabegović, one of the co-authors of the report said.

Things look bleak in the province once dubbed Canada's economic engine, and the future doesn't look much brighter.

In 2009/10, Ontario joined the ranks of the "have-not" provinces for the first time and is now the second-largest recipient of equalization payments in the country with $2.2-billion set to flow into its coffers this year.

Moreover, according to data collated by CBC News, Ontario has the worst debt-to-GDP Ratio in the country. It also has the second highest per-capita debt burden — each Ontarian now owes approximately $36,004.

By almost any measure, these are the 'dark days' for the province of Ontario. Whichever way you slice it, it just doesn't look good.