TORONTO (Standard&Poor's) Aug. 19, 2002--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services today said it affirmed its double-'A' long-term issuer credit and senior unsecured debt ratings, and its 'A-1'-plus short-term issuer credit and commercial paper ratings on the Province of Ontario. In addition, Standard&Poor's affirmed its 'A-1(High)' Canadian national scale rating on Ontario's domestic commercial paper program. The outlook is stable. "The ratings primarily reflect the province's strong fiscal performance during the past three years, the ongoing decline in net tax-supported debt as a share of GDP, and the government's commitment to the achievement of budgetary surpluses both in the near and medium terms through additional expenditure restraint," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Mario Angastiniotis. Ontario's strong fiscal
