AGO head paid nearly $1M

Matthew Teitelbaum, chief executive officer of the Art Gallery of Ontario, collected $981,000 in salary and taxable benefits last year, putting him at number 3 on the sunshine list of Ontario public sector workers earning over $100,000.

Unlike many people on the sunshine list, Teitelbaum wasn't directly paid by taxpayers. His figure included more than $35,000 in unspecified taxable benefits.

The AGO is funded partly by the federal, provincial and city governments, partly by donations and sponsorships and partly by such things as admission fees and gift shop sales.

Jim Hankinson, the former president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation, remains atop the sunshine list with a pay package of $2.15 million in 2009.

His replacement, Tom Mitchell, pulled in more than $1 million plus some $31,000 in taxable benefits..

Laura Formusa, president and CEO of Hydro One, was another big earner at about $975,000. Over 10,000 workers at Hydro One and OPG made the sunshine list last year.

The list shows Michelle DiEmanuele pulled in nearly $800,000 after leaving a $365,000 a year job as deputy minister of government services to become CEO of Credit Valley Hospital for $410,000.

Even though the $100,000 limit for the sunshine list was set 15 years ago, Premier Dalton McGuinty says it's still a lot of money for the average family, so he's not in favour of raising the figure.

Executives at the province's hydro companies, pension plans and hospitals usually top the annual list, which this year has grown to four volumes, each as thick as a phone book.