Stan Cho, tourism minister and Toronto MPP, to repay $16K in city hotel expenses

TORONTO — An Ontario cabinet minister who represents a north Toronto riding is promising to reimburse more than $16,000 in Toronto hotel expenses.

Stan Cho, who serves as the minister of tourism, culture and gaming and represents the riding of Willowdale, has billed so-called special circumstances requiring hotel accommodation in the city on multiple occasions since 2023.

The expenses were first reported by Global News and prompted criticism from opposition parties, who say it is an abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Cho says today in a statement that his expenses meet the criteria for special circumstances under the legislature’s rules for members, but he will personally reimburse the full amount.

His office did not provide an explanation for why he incurred the expenses, but the legislature’s website gives a snowstorm as one example of acceptable special circumstances for members who live within 50 kilometres of Queen’s Park.

Public expense disclosures show Cho expensing about $1,400 in Toronto accommodations in 2023-24, about $3,000 the next year, and about $11,700 in 2025-26.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press