Jim McCarter was appointed Auditor General of Ontario by Ontario’s Legislative Assembly in December 2004. Jim had been acting in this capacity since the retirement of former Provincial Auditor, Erik Peters, in September 2003.
Prior to assuming these responsibilities, Jim spent almost four years as Ontario’s Assistant Provincial Auditor. Before that, he was the Government of Ontario’s first Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Internal Auditor.
Prior to serving as the government's Chief Internal Auditor, Jim was an Executive Director in the Office of the Provincial Auditor of Ontario. In 1989–1990, Jim served as Auditor General of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean on behalf of the Canadian International Development Agency.
Jim is a chartered accountant and holds an MBA degree from York University and a Certified Information Systems Auditor designation. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) in 2009.
Previous Auditors General
Erik Peters, Provincial Auditor
1993–2003
Erik Peters obtained his CA designation in 1965. Between 1960 and 1992, he worked for Price Waterhouse, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Alcan Aluminum, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He was appointed to the position of Provincial Auditor in 1993. Mr. Peters was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) in 1994 and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta in 2002. Mr. Peters was the year 2000 recipient of the ICAO's Award of Outstanding Merit for conspicuous and sustained service to the profession and the broader community.
Jim Otterman, FCA
Jim Otterman assumed the duties of Provincial Auditor in 1992 and continued in the role until the time that Erik Peters was appointed Provincial Auditor in 1993.
Douglas Archer, Provincial Auditor
1982–91
Douglas Archer, a graduate of the University of Toronto, joined the provincial government with the Department of Health in 1966. Mr. Archer came to the Office of the Provincial Auditor in 1971 as Director of the Crown Agency Audit Branch. He was made Director of Public Accounts in 1974 and was appointed Assistant Provincial Auditor in 1978. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1982, the same year he was appointed Provincial Auditor.
Norman Scott, Provincial Auditor
1974–81
Norman Scott's career in the public service started with the Ontario Department of Labour in 1940. A year later, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and spent the next four years overseas. He returned to the Department of Labour after the war and then joined the Office of the Provincial Auditor in 1952. He was appointed Assistant Provincial Auditor in 1973 and Provincial Auditor in 1974. Mr. Scott was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1979.
William Groom, Provincial Auditor
1973
William Groom was educated at the University of Toronto and McMaster University and joined the Office in 1956. He left for the Department of Social and Family Services where, by 1969, he became Executive Director of Social Development Services. Mr. Groom returned to the Office in 1971 as Assistant Provincial Auditor. He was appointed Provincial Auditor in 1973. Mr. Groom's career was cut short when he and his wife were killed in a highway accident on July 21, 1973.
George Spence, Provincial Auditor
1963–73
George Spence came from a distinguished old Toronto family and was the son of senator James Spence. A graduate of Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto, he received his CA designation in 1938 and was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1953. He was appointed Assistant Provincial Auditor in 1941 and Provincial Auditor in 1963.
Harvey Cotnam, Provincial Auditor
1938–63
Harvey Cotnam was born on a farm near Pembroke, Ontario and later attended McGill University in Montreal, where he graduated in 1925 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. The following year he became a chartered accountant. He started with the Treasury Department as an accountant in 1933. In 1935, he became Assistant Provincial Auditor and was Acting Provincial Auditor during Gordon Brown's illness (1937). He was appointed to the position of Provincial Auditor in 1938. Mr. Cotnam was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1950.
Gordon Brown, Provincial Auditor
1920–38
Gordon Brown joined the Office of the Provincial Auditor in 1898. He worked his way up through the ranks from Clerk to Chief Audit Clerk before he was appointed to the position of Provincial Auditor in 1920.
James Clancy, Provincial Auditor
1905–20
James Clancy was born in Canada West in 1844. As a young man, he had been a farmer and lumberman in Wallaceburg, Ontario. He eventually ran for reeve of Chatham Township and won in 1882. The following year and on two other occasions he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Twice elected to the House of Commons, he was defeated in 1904. Clancy was appointed Provincial Auditor in 1905.
Charles Sproule, Provincial Auditor
1878–1905
Charles Sproule started as a junior clerk in the Treasury in 1867. Then he served as bookkeeper under the Auditor William Cayley until Cayley retired in 1877. At that time, the Treasurer S.C. Wood recommended that Sproule be appointed the new Auditor of the Audit Branch. With the introduction of the 1886 Audit Act, Sproule was appointed the first official Provincial Auditor of Ontario.
William Cayley, Provincial Auditor
1869–78
Prior to his appointment to the position of Auditor in 1869, William Cayley had served seven years as Inspector General of Accounts in several pre-Confederation administrations. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1807 and educated in England, Cayley emigrated to Canada in 1836. Two years later, he was called to the bar of Upper Canada. In 1846, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Canada where he continued to serve as a member until he retired from political life in 1861.
Jim McCarter was appointed Auditor General of Ontario by Ontario’s Legislative Assembly in December 2004. Jim had been acting in this capacity since the retirement of former Provincial Auditor, Erik Peters, in September 2003.
Erik Peters obtained his CA designation in 1965. Between 1960 and 1992, he worked for Price Waterhouse, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Alcan Aluminum, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He was appointed to the position of Provincial Auditor in 1993. Mr. Peters was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) in 1994 and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta in 2002. Mr. Peters was the year 2000 recipient of the ICAO's Award of Outstanding Merit for conspicuous and sustained service to the profession and the broader community.
Jim Otterman assumed the duties of Provincial Auditor in 1992 and continued in the role until the time that Erik Peters was appointed Provincial Auditor in 1993.
Douglas Archer, a graduate of the University of Toronto, joined the provincial government with the Department of Health in 1966. Mr. Archer came to the Office of the Provincial Auditor in 1971 as Director of the Crown Agency Audit Branch. He was made Director of Public Accounts in 1974 and was appointed Assistant Provincial Auditor in 1978. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1982, the same year he was appointed Provincial Auditor.
Norman Scott's career in the public service started with the Ontario Department of Labour in 1940. A year later, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and spent the next four years overseas. He returned to the Department of Labour after the war and then joined the Office of the Provincial Auditor in 1952. He was appointed Assistant Provincial Auditor in 1973 and Provincial Auditor in 1974. Mr. Scott was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1979.
William Groom was educated at the University of Toronto and McMaster University and joined the Office in 1956. He left for the Department of Social and Family Services where, by 1969, he became Executive Director of Social Development Services. Mr. Groom returned to the Office in 1971 as Assistant Provincial Auditor. He was appointed Provincial Auditor in 1973. Mr. Groom's career was cut short when he and his wife were killed in a highway accident on July 21, 1973.
George Spence came from a distinguished old Toronto family and was the son of senator James Spence. A graduate of Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto, he received his CA designation in 1938 and was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1953. He was appointed Assistant Provincial Auditor in 1941 and Provincial Auditor in 1963.
Harvey Cotnam was born on a farm near Pembroke, Ontario and later attended McGill University in Montreal, where he graduated in 1925 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. The following year he became a chartered accountant. He started with the Treasury Department as an accountant in 1933. In 1935, he became Assistant Provincial Auditor and was Acting Provincial Auditor during Gordon Brown's illness (1937). He was appointed to the position of Provincial Auditor in 1938. Mr. Cotnam was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1950.
Gordon Brown joined the Office of the Provincial Auditor in 1898. He worked his way up through the ranks from Clerk to Chief Audit Clerk before he was appointed to the position of Provincial Auditor in 1920.
James Clancy was born in Canada West in 1844. As a young man, he had been a farmer and lumberman in Wallaceburg, Ontario. He eventually ran for reeve of Chatham Township and won in 1882. The following year and on two other occasions he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Twice elected to the House of Commons, he was defeated in 1904. Clancy was appointed Provincial Auditor in 1905.
Prior to his appointment to the position of Auditor in 1869, William Cayley had served seven years as Inspector General of Accounts in several pre-Confederation administrations. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1807 and educated in England, Cayley emigrated to Canada in 1836. Two years later, he was called to the bar of Upper Canada. In 1846, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Canada where he continued to serve as a member until he retired from political life in 1861.