The changes impact labour, health, transportation, and housing, among others
The Ontario government has implemented amended legislation, regulations, and fees as of January 1.
The changes are related to several ministries, including labour, economic development, health, and transportation.
The government introduced new regulation under the Ontario Labour Mobility Act that requires regulatory authorities to publish the labour mobility requirements and timelines for certification recognition on publc-facing sites. The regulation bolsters transparency and the visibility of employment opportunities.
Regulatory authorities must also submit a report on labour mobility applicants’ success as well as on registration service standards to clarify the province’s regulatory landscape. Non-compliant authorities will be subject to administrative penalties under a new OLMA regulation; moreover, the knowing provision of false information to fulfill requirements for deemed certification, “As of Right” will be considered an offence.
Per a regulatory amendment under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, defibrillators must be provided at construction sites with at least 20 regularly employed workers on projects at least 3 months long, along with a trained CPR and defibrillator operation worker. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will reimburse qualified employers up to $2,500 per device for each eligible project based on the $2,300 average cost for each device.
Moreover, under a new OHSA regulation constructors at construction projects or employers at other workplaces must post washroom facility cleaning records, making Ontario the first Canadian province to set this requirement. Another OHSA regulation treats chief prevention officer-accredited health and safety management systems as equivalent in government and public sector organization procurements; administrative monetary penalties will set for those who fail to comply.
New Employment Standards Act rules involving job postings have been implemented under the Working for Workers Four Act. Specific employers must list expected compensation and whether artificial intelligence will be used in the recruitment process. Moreover, certain employers must indicate current vacancies in job postings, and they must respond to interviewees within 45 days of an interview.
A new ESA provision also requires job posting platforms to outline a process by which users can flag fake publicly advertised job postings; platforms must develop a written policy related to fraudulent ads. The license renewal period for agencies and regulators has been changed to every two years instead of annually.
A Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act regulation has been modified to include new requirements for regulated professions and third-party assessment organizations, ensuring that applicants’ qualifications are assessed fairly.
The government modified the Ontario Immigration Act’s O. Reg. 422/17 to include updated eligible license classes for self-employed physicians applying to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
The Ontario government has implemented the Special Economic Zones Act, which facilitates the introduction of special economic zones prioritizing areas, projects or proponents of strategic provincial significance that boost economic activity, job creation, and investment. The Act was developed in consultation with Indigenous communities and other parties.
The Medicine Act’s O. Reg 865/93 has been modified to include a new provisional class that minimizes registration obstacles and streamlines credentialing. In addition, the government passed schedules 3, 4, 8 and 10 of the Building a More Competitive Economy Act; it also introduced 32 new or revised regulations expanding “As of Right” rules to cover 16 more out-of-province health professions and established the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the College of Nurses of Ontario as regulators. Licenses under labour mobility applicants’ home jurisdictions will automatically be honored under these regulators. Applicants in good standing must have their automatic registration processed in two business days.
Under changes to the Medicine Act’s O. Reg. 197/23 and the Nursing Act’s O. Reg. 196/23, board-certified physicians and nurses licensed in a US state and in the District of Columbia may practise in Ontario under “As of Right” rules. Moreover, work-setting limitations have been lifted under these amendments and under modifications to the Respiratory Therapy Act’s O. Reg. 199/23 and to the Medical Laboratory Technology Act’s O. Reg. 198/23.
The Personal Health Information Protection Act has been revised to allow those with a digital health identifier to access certain personal health information records in the provincial electronic health record. The Health Insurance Act’s O. Reg. 552 has also been changed to amend the Schedule of Benefits for Laboratory Services (SOB-LS) and The Schedule of Benefits for Physician Services (SOB-PS); under the SOB-LS changes, electronically placed lab test orders and orders using electronic signatures can be insured while SOB-PS changes increases the fee for 20 emergency medicine fee codes by 4.33 percent in line with the ministry’s contractual obligations under the Arbitration Award for physician payments.
The Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act’s O. Reg 45/22 has been amended to enable midwives and Indigenous midwives to order 29 additional tests. The change also permits midwives and Indigenous midwives to conduct five point of care tests and adds the X-ALD test to the newborn screening program; it also includes the fetal blood group genotyping, fetal RHD and first trimester preeclampsia biomarker tests in the prenatal screening program. Provisions have also been updated to facilitate contracting between labs and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario for newborn screening.
The Dentistry Act’s O. Reg 205/94 has been modified to ensure that dentists can secure and maintain professional liability coverage and authorization to practise in Canada.
The Highway Traffic Act and relevant regulations have been changed as follows:
The Highway Traffic Act also includes a new provincial offense for knowingly providing a false vehicle identification number for a vehicle transaction; offenders can be fined up to $100,000 for convictions, could be imprisoned for up to six months, and face a maximum one-year driver’s license or vehicle permit suspension. The police are authorized to search and confiscate electronic devices intended for vehicle theft use.
Ontario Energy Board Act regulations have been changed to permit Ontario Power Generation’s equity partnerships with Indigenous communities and other investors for SMRs built at Darlington New Nuclear Project. OPG can recover debt interest expenses incurred while constructing certain nuclear projects.
The Ontario Rebate for Electricity Consumers Act has been revised to boost the energy rebate for customers of several remote unlicensed distributors from 8 percent to 23.5 percent. The Professional Geoscientists Act’s O. Reg 324/16 has been changed to allow geoscientists to register as temporary Professional Geoscientists Ontario members.
The Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act has been amended to modify the boundaries of certain provincial parks, supporting the expansion of Highway 69 and the reclassification and widening of Devil’s Glen Provincial Park. The Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act includes a new regulation granting the Lake Simcoe Phosphorus Reduction Project a special designation for exemption from a a full environmental assessment.
Blue Box recycling requirements and timelines under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act have been modified; recycling targets have been deferred and amended.
A Liquor Licence and Control Act regulation has been revised to establish a minimum retail price for five-litre containers of wine sold in grocery and convenience stores, to lift limitations of displaying energy drinks next to alcohol products, and to eliminate requirements for grocery and convenience store websites to have a dedicated alcohol sales section.
The Insurance Act has been amended such that Ontario’s financial regulator may mandate insurers to clarify annual cost and performance information for segregated funds. The government also modified the Legislative Assembly Act, MPPs Pension Act under the MPP Pension and Compensation Act; MPPs under the current retirement savings account will be transferred to the Public Service Pension Plan. MPPs who do not qualify for the PSPP will be given an allowance; MPPs considering options involving their current registered pension plan balance will have until June 5 to decide.
The Insurance Act will include a new regulation designating the Ontario School Boards’ Insurance Exchange as a public sector reciprocal insurance exchange; it will be subject to certain reporting and governance requirements, and be accountable to the education minister.
The Assessment Act, the City of Toronto Act, and the Municipal Act will be amended to enable the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s electronic delivery of assessment notices to property owners. A regulation under the Municipal Act and the City of Toronto Act has been changed to simplify the distribution of payments-in-lieu of taxes between municipalities and school boards.
An Investment Management Corporation of Ontario Act regulation is being modified to enable the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario to manage the Niagara Health System’s capital investment funds. References to “provincial net debt” in the Fiscal Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Act are being changed to “provincial net financial liabilities.”
Staff who did not fulfill standard eligibility requirements but were employed to provide personal support services under a Fixing Long-Term Care Act exemption will have until December 27 to move into new positions in long-term care homes or finish personal support worker training programs. LTC homes were prohibited from recruiting staff under the exemption after January 1.
The government has implemented its annual adjustment to the Housing Services Act’s household income limits and high needs income limits. The Planning Act has been changed to transfer the responsibility for approving the creation of new lots from the Parry Sound Area Planning Board to the municipalities of Carling and McDougall.
Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act changes and requirements are being applied to the City of Toronto Act. The Barrie-Oro-Medonte-Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act facilitates the transfer of about 1,673 hectares of land in the townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater to the city of Barrie.
The Wildland Fire Management Act will update and boost forest fire prevention measures, bolstering shared responsibility for wildland fire management and awareness of wildland fire risks. It will also set stricter rules and consequences for non-compliance and improve overall preparedness and response.
A new Geologic Carbon Storage Act will facilitate the development of carbon storage projects that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by five to seven million tonnes per year. The Surveyors Act and its regulations are being updated to simplify the process for internationally trained surveyors to work in Ontario.
Motor Vehicle Dealers Act regulations have been changed to require motor vehicle sales professionals to complete continuing education mandated by the registrar before registration renewal.
The Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act and its regulation require hotels and online accommodation providers to maintain guest registers and standardize how police access them for investigations. The Fire Protection and Prevention Act includes a new regulation introducing administrative monetary penalties that can be issued against tenants, owners, and corporations breaching Ontario Fire Code provisions.
O. Reg. 213/07 has been changed to develop the Ontario Fire Code’s first French edition. The Police Record Checks Reform Act’s O. Reg. 347/18 has been modified to clarify the information police services can share through a police record check exempt from the Act.
A new Protecting Farmers from Non-Payment Act (Regulating Agricultural Product Dealers and Storage Operators) defends grain and livestock farmers should dealers licensed to sell or store products default on payments or do not return grain.
The Construction Act and its regulations have been changed to facilitate timely payments to contractors, limit cash flow concerns and payment-related disputes on multi-year construction projects, and bolster clarity and certainty for the industry. Under a Special Investigations Unit Act regulation change, the use of certain anti-riot weaponry and similar devices will not automatically require a Special Investigations Unit investigation except in the event of death or serious injury.
Four Administration of Justice Act regulations have been amended to defer automatic increases to court fees and fee waiver eligibility thresholds from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027.
The Child, Youth and Family Services Act’s O. Reg. 155/18 has been changed to set rules for the amount of administrative penalties that can be levied on a provider breaching licensing requirements.
A Child Care and Early Years Act regulation has been revised to remove the classification of Canadian disability benefit payments as income in determining eligibility for child care fee subsidies.
The French Language Services Act’s schedule listing designated areas has been transferred into a new regulation under the Act. The regulation updates several designated areas to reflect current official municipal names and expands six designated areas to align with municipal boundaries.
The six designated areas are the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, the county of Essex, the city of Hamilton, the municipality of Chatham-Kent, the county of Renfrew, and the district of Thunder Bay. The offer of provincial French-language services will expand after a three-year implementation period, as of January 1, 2029.
The Act’s O. Reg. 398/93 has been changes to designate the new agencies Centre d’Accueil Champlain and Pembroke Regional Hospital. The existing designation of 11 agencies has been updated to cover changes to names, designated program names or names of funding ministries.
