Ontario, Canada's new character education policy is analyzed to determine how it supports and undermines critical democratic commitments to diversity, dialogue, equity, critical mindedness, and social justice. While policies are always open to interpretation, recent reform policies requiring evidence of continual improvement in students' academic performance and standardized curricula have made it more difficult for educators to pursue critical democratic goals and practices. This study's findings show that while the assumptions and favored approach of Ontario's Character Development Initiative contradict principles of critical democratic education, the policy enables the pursuit of critical democratic goals within its framework.