Opposition MPPs are calling on the governing Liberals to demand greater transparency from agencies that receive public funding after the Star revealed that MaRS Discovery District — which has received close to $470 million in taxpayer money — was making confusing and embellished claims about its track record.

“It’s fundamentally clear that any agency that receives public funding of any type absolutely has to demonstrate transparency and accountability,” said Progressive Conservative finance critic Vic Fedeli. “This government needs to demand that. I think that’s what’s missing here.”

MaRS, a research and innovation hub on College St., recently boasted on its website that it generated $3 billion in economic impact; that more than two million people have used its online entrepreneurship resources; and that it hosts more than 2,000 events annually.

When the Star pressed for further information, MaRS refused to provide any studies backing up its economic impact claim, citing confidentiality agreements.

When the Star asked for clarification regarding its claim two million people had used its online resources, MaRS said the figure represented the number of “views,” rather than the number of people. The organization said this was an inadvertent error and removed the statement from its website.

The organization also said it counts stakeholder meetings and workshops, among other things held on its premises, as “events.”

Reza Moridi, Ontario’s newly minted minister of research and innovation, said that to his knowledge, MaRS has made every effort to report accurate and timely information to the government.

“I have drawn this conclusion because MaRS reports to the ministry, where data is reviewed and an annual MaRS venture survey of client companies is carried out by a third party,” Moridi said in an emailed statement to the Star. “Our government is committed to building Ontario up using its greatest strengths — its people and partnerships. That’s why we continue to support MaRS.”

MaRS CEO Ilse Treurnicht, who earned $532,501 last year, said the MaRS model is based on approaches of leading global innovation cities such as San Francisco, Boston and New York City.

“MaRS has now become a model others are emulating,” she said.

MaRS was founded in 2001 by a group of science and business leaders with the goal of commercializing the wealth of scientific research being done in southern Ontario. The organization runs a variety of programs out of a complex on College St. at University Ave. that offer mentorship, business education, networking, funding and market research.

Wayne Gates, the NDP’s economic development and employment critic, said the Star’s investigation raises troubling questions and shows the need for increased scrutiny of MaRS.

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“MaRS’ first job should be supporting entrepreneurs and helping to build growth and innovation . . . not polishing its own image. Secrecy about their results doesn’t help new entrepreneurs,” he said. “Embellishing results doesn’t help anyone, except maybe the Liberal party PR machine.”

Kenyon Wallace can be reached at kwallace@thestar.ca or 416-869-4734. Follow him on Twitter @KenyonWallace

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