Every man, woman and child in Ontario owes about $19,000 towards the provincial debt, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
"It's not just a pie in the sky number. This is what our province owes," said CTF's Ontario director Candice Malcolm.
"Every year when they introduce a budget that's well over what they bring in revenue, it's just driving the province further and further into debt," she said.
"You wouldn't run a household like that and we don't think you should run a government like that."
The CTF launched its Ontario Debt Clock Tour Friday afternoon at the Thunder Bay Tourist Pagoda on Red River Road.
Thunder Bay is the first of 56 communities the Debt Clock will visit in the next 28 days.
Malcolm said their goal is to educate the public on the $256 billion debt; it's a number that's so high, it's hard to comprehend, she said.
The provincial debt rises $372 every second; that's $1.32 million every hour, according to the CTF.
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The organization has a series of policy recommendations they believe will help cut down the debt.
Under former Liberal Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Malcolm said the provincial government spent a lot of money on pet projects that didn't pan out, citing the Green Energy Act as an example.
"It's just been a big expensive boondoggle and waste. We recommend getting rid of those wasteful projects and focusing on core services like health and education," she said.
"It's our money. It's our taxes and we think our taxes we send to Queen's Park should be spent on services and not going to pay interest on a debt that's growing," Malcolm added.
The Debt Clock Tour can be followed online
