The Ontario government has released documents related to its controversial purchase and resale of a private jet, revealing the process began months before the deal became public.
The records show the Ford government started moving ahead with the purchase of a second-hand Bombardier Challenger 650 in January 2026. Documents released by Premier Doug Ford’s office indicate the aircraft was purchased through two major payments in U.S. dollars.
One invoice dated March 2 shows a payment of just over $1 million USD, while a second invoice dated March 5 lists another payment of $22 million USD.
The documents also include a $500,000 USD payment tied to a letter of intent signed on Jan. 19, confirming the government had begun negotiations much earlier than previously known.
The private jet controversy became public in April when the Ford government announced it had acquired the aircraft and then quickly sold it again for the same reported price of $28.9 million CAD.
Premier Ford had previously told reporters on April 22 that the plane had already been sold back to Bombardier. However, the newly released documents show the resale was not finalized until April 27.
A final invoice dated April 24 lists the resale value at $23.7 million USD. Another government briefing note states Ontario paid approximately $21 million USD for the aircraft before taxes.
The records also reveal the province spent an additional $190,865 on costs related to the jet purchase. That included around $18,000 for an aviation acquisition consultant, nearly $140,000 for aircraft management services and about $33,000 for external legal advice.
Doug Ford later apologized for how the purchase was communicated to the public but defended the idea of owning a government aircraft, saying it was “embarrassing” that Ontario did not have a plane available for the premier and cabinet ministers to use.