Ontario government authorized to borrow up to $35 billion under new loan legislation

A new Ontario statute authorizes the provincial government to borrow up to $35 billion in total to pay off existing provincial debts and obligations or to make payments required by other legislation out of the Consoli…

Ontario's debt burden reduction strategy must now include metrics in its progress update

The annual debt burden reduction strategy that the Ontario government publishes with each budget must now include a progress update with specific metrics, rather than a general progress report on supporting actions. T…

Section 4 of the Privatization Act flagged for future repeal once Lieutenant Governor proclaims a date

An amendment has been added to the consolidated text noting that section 4 of this Act — which exempts privatization transfers from a specific provision of the Financial Administration Act — is scheduled to be repeale…

Ontario creates the Protect Ontario Account Investment Fund as a new designated purpose account under the Financial Administration Act

The amendment establishes a new designated purpose account called the Protect Ontario Account Investment Fund (Fonds d'investissement du compte Protéger l'Ontario). The Minister of Finance is required to set up this f…

Ontario pension law expanded to allow variable life benefits, new wind-up rules, and extinguishment of untraceable members' benefits

Ontario's Pension Benefits Act has been amended to introduce a new type of pension payment called a "variable life benefit" — a pooled, non-account-based pension paid from a dedicated fund whose amount can fluctuate b…

BC securities rules updated for mutual fund and investment fund disclosure, conflict reporting, and IRC requirements

The British Columbia Securities Commission has amended four national instruments governing mutual funds and investment funds in BC. Mutual fund prospectus disclosure rules have been updated, including optional introdu…

New law removes bus-parking obligation on Toronto's Block 18C and shields government from related lawsuits

A new Ontario statute eliminates the requirement under a City of Toronto by-law that bus parking be provided on Block 18C, a parcel of land in downtown Toronto near the former SkyDome. The law also bars virtually all…

Status Indians now excluded from Ontario's 'foreign national' definition for land transfer tax purposes

The definition of 'foreign national' in Ontario's Land Transfer Tax Act has been updated to explicitly exclude persons registered as Indians under the federal Indian Act. Previously, the definition tracked the federal…

New regulation sets design, maintenance, training and record-keeping rules for all elevating work platforms on Ontario construction projects

Ontario has introduced a standalone regulation governing elevating work platforms (EWPs) — including mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), mast climbing work platforms and vehicle-mounted aerial devices — on all co…

Asbestos rules to accept CSA-certified respirators alongside NIOSH-approved ones starting mid-2026

Amendments scheduled to take effect add the CSA Group (CSA) as an accepted respirator certification body alongside the existing NIOSH standard for asbestos work on construction projects and in buildings. Workers and e…

Hard hats must meet side-impact standards and section 22 rules tightened; several elevating work platform sections to be revoked

Two sets of future changes have been added to Ontario's construction regulation. First, hard-hat requirements are being upgraded: workers who may be exposed to side-impact hazards will need headwear that meets the Typ…

Future amendments flagged: indemnity approval requirement for Ontario health Agency and Service Organization set to be removed

The consolidated text of the Connecting Care Act, 2019 now includes prospective amendment notices signalling that, once brought into force by Lieutenant Governor in Council order, the requirement for Agency and Servic…

BC Shared Health Services added to the list of designated health care employers in BC

The Health Care Employers Regulation has been amended to include "BC Shared Health Services" in its list of designated health care employers under section 2. This means BC Shared Health Services is now subject to the…

Ontario Taxation Act updated: dividend tax rates, small business rate, beer credit, Trillium Benefit thresholds, and procedural rules all revised

Ontario's Taxation Act has been amended in several areas. The provincial gross-up rate applied to eligible dividends received by individuals is being reduced for tax years after 2026 (from 22.895% to 15.2283%), and th…

Ontario eliminates volume and environmental taxes on beer, wine and spirits; raises basic beer tax rates and restructures spirits tax by alcohol content

Ontario's Liquor Tax Act has been restructured to remove the separate volume tax and environmental tax that applied to beer, wine, wine cooler, and spirits purchased from licensed retail stores — those charges no long…

Ontario expands the election to treat funded benefit plans as unfunded for tax purposes, with new ministerial regulation powers

Planholders of funded benefit plans can now elect to have their employer health tax on benefit plan contributions calculated under the unfunded-plan rules (based on benefits paid rather than contributions made). Previ…

Future repeal of two Financial Administration Act exemptions flagged in Electricity Act consolidation

The consolidated text of the Electricity Act now includes editorial notes signalling that two provisions — one exempting certain Part transactions from section 28 of the Financial Administration Act (s. 51), and anoth…

Ontario's 36 conservation authorities will be amalgamated into 9 regional authorities starting February 2027

Beginning on the 'transition date' (currently set for February 1, 2027, subject to change by regulation), Ontario's existing 36 conservation authorities will be merged into nine newly named regional conservation autho…

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality added to wildfire regulation's listed area in Section 2.1(h)

The Wildfire Regulation has been amended to replace the existing entry in section 2.1(h) with "Northern Rockies Regional Municipality." This change updates the geographic scope of that provision to reference the curre…

New advisory committee will screen WSIB board appointments before they reach the Minister

Pending proclamation, a formal advisory committee must be established to vet and recommend candidates for most WSIB board member positions before the Minister can propose names to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. A…

Respirator approval rules for designated substances expanded to recognize CSA Group certification

Starting mid-2026, respirators used under Ontario's Designated Substances regulation will be accepted if approved by NIOSH, by the CSA Group (a newly recognized certifier), or by another agency whose protection is jud…

Respirator approval rules updated to recognize CSA Group certification alongside NIOSH

Starting mid-2026, respirators provided to workers can be approved by the CSA Group (CSA) as an alternative to NIOSH approval, not just by NIOSH or a qualified-opinion-backed third party. The amendment adds CSA as a r…

Ontario's municipal freedom of information law gets major overhaul: new privacy breach rules, staged-access plans, and whistleblower protection

Ontario has made sweeping changes to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act affecting how municipal institutions handle access requests and protect personal information. Institutions can no…

Kelowna added to short-term rental principal-residence zone; annual reporting deadline and review-period rules adjusted

Two sets of changes are being made to B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Regulation on different dates. First, the City of Kelowna is moved from Schedule 2 (exempt municipalities) into Schedule 1, meaning short-t…

Ontario's Freedom of Information Act overhauled: ministers' records excluded, new staged-access rules, longer response times, and data integration changes

Ontario has made sweeping changes to its Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Most significantly, records held by ministers of the Crown or their offices are now excluded from the Act entirely, with t…

Two First Nations added to the schedule of bands eligible under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act

The schedule listing First Nations that can participate in the fiscal management framework — covering local revenue taxation, financial administration, and access to financing — has been updated to add two nations: Na…

Ontario eases business permit-service-standard rules and cuts compliance reporting to twice a year

Two changes take effect together on a future date. First, the rule requiring separate service standards for 'normal' versus 'not normal' permit applications is replaced: ministries will now distinguish 'typical' from…

Victoria Day removed from the list of statutory retail holidays under Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act

Victoria Day has been removed from the definition of "holiday" in Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act, meaning it is no longer a designated closing day for retail businesses under that law. Retailers who previously…

Plant Breeders' Rights Regulations updated: longer compliance windows, new farmers' privilege exclusions, and revised application rules

Several practical changes have been made to Canada's Plant Breeders' Rights Regulations. Assignees of plant breeders' rights now have one year (up from 30 days) to register an assignment with the Commissioner, and wit…

Metrolinx must follow new notice and consultation steps before ordering access to municipal roads and rights of way

Metrolinx now has explicit procedural obligations before it can issue an order requiring access to, or alteration of, a municipal highway or right of way. Before issuing such an order, Metrolinx must make good-faith e…

B.C. adds hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to "electric motor vehicle" definition and creates new EV OK road sign

The Motor Vehicle Act Regulations have been updated in two practical ways. First, the definition of "electric motor vehicle" is expanded: it now covers not only battery-electric vehicles that charge from an external s…