By Sadie McInnes
Last year former deputy premier and 2010 Toronto mayoral candidate George Smitherman received $158,833.32 from Ryerson University.
The figure was revealed in this year’s sunshine list, which was released last month. The list discloses the public sector employees that made over $100,000 in the previous year.
Smitherman was employed as “special advisor” to President Sheldon Levy, and according to a statement released by the Toronto Star was involved in supporting initiatives at the Ryerson Digital Media Zone (DMZ) and the Centre for Urban Energy.
Smitherman’s overseeing of the Green Energy Act as provincial energy minister and his experience in the public eye provided him with connections that were valuable to Ryerson, however there is some question as to whether his contributions merited a six figure salary.
Adam Kahan the Vice-President of University Advancement at Ryerson said students should not be worried about where their money is going. “The issue is not what you pay, it’s what you get for what you pay,” he said.
Kahan isn’t worried about the value of Smitherman’s work here, saying “We made an investment and we expect significant returns.”
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