Municipalities can now opt out of the small-population rule for resort condominium property tax classification

A provision that had been revoked is replaced with a new rule allowing single-tier or upper-tier municipal councils to pass a by-law waiving the requirement that a resort condominium unit be located in a municipality with a population of 10,000 or less. To use this option, the municipality must have had land in the resort condominium tax class in the preceding taxation year. The by-law automatically applies for the year it is passed and any future years the resort condominium class remains active in that municipality. Upper-tier municipalities can only waive the population rule for a lower-tier municipality if that lower-tier municipality also had qualifying resort condominium land in the prior year. Resort property owners and managers in municipalities that previously could not qualify due to population size should check whether their council has passed or intends to pass such a by-law.

County of Oxford and Township of Norwich authorized to grant development-charge relief to VDK Development Inc.

The regulation has been expanded to allow the County of Oxford and the Township of Norwich to grant assistance to VDK Development Inc. in the form of full or partial exemptions from development charges imposed under the Development Charges Act, 1997. The assistance window is a six-month period starting in mid-2026. The County of Oxford's assistance is capped at $800,000, while the Township of Norwich's is capped at $400,000. This relief can be granted directly or indirectly to the company. Municipalities, developers, and parties involved in development charge planning in Oxford County and Norwich Township should be aware of this new authority and its time-limited nature.

2026 election rules replace 2018 special provisions for certain Ontario municipalities

The special election rules that applied to Toronto and certain regional municipalities during the 2018 election have been removed and replaced with new provisions governing the 2026 regular election. Any person who had already filed a nomination for head of council in a municipality listed under the relevant section of the Municipal Act, 2001, or for any council seat in the Regional Municipality of Niagara, is deemed to have automatically withdrawn that nomination when the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026 received Royal Assent. The Minister now has authority to make regulations to manage the 2026 election for the affected municipalities, handle transitional matters arising from related Municipal Act changes, and address nominations filed before certain provisions came into force. Ministerial regulations under this section override conflicting legislation and can apply retroactively. Candidates who had filed nominations for affected offices and municipal election administrators in the named municipalities should review whether those nominations remain valid and plan accordingly.

Minister gains new power to support child care operators; parents can now request Ontario education numbers for their children

Two practical changes were made to Ontario's child care law. First, the Minister is now explicitly authorized to provide services that support child care operators and service system managers in carrying out their responsibilities under the Act — this is a new, distinct power added alongside existing funding and financial assistance powers. Second, the rules around assigning Ontario education numbers to children have been expanded: previously, a number could only be assigned when a child was registering in a licensed child care or early years program; now, a parent can also request a number for their child independently of any program registration. The list of who is authorized to collect, use, and disclose personal information for number assignment purposes has also been updated — the Minister (rather than ministry officers and employees) is now named, and program operators are only authorized to handle personal information in connection with children registering in a program. Child care operators, service system managers, and parents of young children should be aware of these changes.

Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) replaces OPSBA and OCSTA as central bargaining employer agency for English-language school boards

The CODE (Council of Ontario Directors of Education) is now designated as the employer bargaining agency for all English-language public district school boards, English-language separate district school boards, and boards established under section 68 of the Education Act—roles previously held by OPSBA and OCSTA respectively. A new internal bargaining committee within the CODE will oversee and direct its collective bargaining activities, with authority to make by-laws governing its processes; the Minister can override those by-laws by order. Transition provisions require OPSBA and OCSTA to co-operate with the CODE's assumption of these functions, and the Minister can order transfers of rights, contracts, employees, records and other assets to the CODE. The Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association retains a defined observer role at central bargaining tables for English-language separate district school boards and keeps the right to raise denominational rights concerns. The law also now explicitly states that nothing in it makes any party other than a school board—including an employer bargaining agency or the Crown—an employer of school board employees under any legislation or at common law. School boards, union bargaining agencies, and the CODE's predecessor associations (OPSBA and OCSTA) all need to understand revised roles, obligations, and liability protections.

Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario is being wound down and will be dissolved

The legislation governing the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) has been amended to put the organization on a path to dissolution. The board size minimum has been cut from five to one member, appointment authority has shifted from the Lieutenant Governor in Council to the Minister alone, and the restriction barring post-secondary institution insiders from board membership has been removed. A new winding-up process requires the board to prepare a dissolution plan under Ministerial direction, transferring all of HEQCO's assets, liabilities, rights, and obligations to the Crown or a Crown agency. New liability protections for current and former Council members, employees, and Crown officials have been added, and proceedings against those individuals in respect of their duties under the Act are broadly barred. The Act itself will be repealed and HEQCO fully dissolved on a date set by the Lieutenant Governor in Council; a final annual report covering the period up to dissolution must be tabled in the Assembly.

Ontario College of Teachers gains stronger regulatory control over professional teacher education program design at universities

The regulation-making authority for teacher education has been split into two streams: professional teacher education programs at post-secondary institutions are now governed under a separate provision, distinct from ongoing professional development programs. New rules explicitly allow regulations to set the timing, duration, required areas of study, delivery methods, and practical experience components of professional teacher education programs. Critically, these accreditation requirements override any conflicting university senate or academic governance decisions, and apply even where another Act grants the institution authority over its own programs and curricula. Post-secondary institutions that offer Ontario teacher education programs should review their current program structures against any regulations made under the new provisions. Ongoing education programs for teachers remain covered under a separate, parallel provision unchanged in scope.

School board salary-disclosure rule updated to cover 'employers' associations' instead of 'trustees' associations'

The Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act now refers to 'employers' associations' as defined in the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014, replacing the previous term 'trustees' associations.' This means the organizations now captured by the salary-disclosure obligation are those formally designated as employers' associations under that Act. Any such association that pays an employee $100,000 or more annually must disclose that information under the Act. Organizations that previously identified as trustees' associations should confirm whether they now fall within — or outside — the updated definition. The change is a terminology correction aligned with the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014.

Definition of 'Commission' in Ottawa-Carleton French-Language School Board Act flagged for future repeal

A note has been added to the Act signalling that the definition of 'Commission' — which refers to the Languages of Instruction Commission of Ontario — is scheduled to be repealed on a date yet to be set by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. No other substantive provisions of the Act have changed at this time. The amendment record has also been updated to reflect this pending change. Organizations or individuals relying on the Commission's role under this Act should monitor for the order that will bring the repeal into force.

Ontario's Education Act substantially amended: board governance, property oversight, liability shields, and structural changes

A large set of amendments to Ontario's Education Act reshapes how school boards are governed and overseen. The Minister and Lieutenant Governor in Council gain broader direct authority over key regulatory matters — including board estimates, school board controlled entities, dealings with property, and several regulation-making powers — replacing a prior model that required Ministerial approval subject to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. New liability protections bar most lawsuits against Crown officials and appointed supervisors acting under the Act, while making boards vicariously responsible for those individuals' conduct. School board size for district school boards is capped at 12 elected members (down from 22), the director of education of English-language district school boards becomes a non-voting member by office and must be re-titled chief executive officer, and a new chief education officer role is established for a future proclamation date. Several other changes take effect now or on a future proclamation: boards must get Ministerial approval before acquiring land or dismissing their director of education; the Languages of Instruction Commission's dispute-resolution role is being transferred to the Minister; Division C (board-set taxes) and Division F are repealed; and digital materials are confirmed to be included wherever the Act refers to educational materials such as textbooks. Boards and their officials should review how these changes affect governance processes, budget approvals, property transactions, and communications policies.

Speed limit zone boundaries on Highway 49 through Tyendinaga Township revised and expanded

The regulated speed limit zones on Highway 49 between Prince Edward County and Highway 401 in Tyendinaga Township have been restructured. The single continuous zone that previously ran from near Prince Edward County Road 6 all the way to a point north of Highway 401 has been split into three distinct segments, with the reference point near Highway 401 now anchored differently. Two segments run from near County Road 6 to south of Airport Road/Bayshore Road, and from north of Lower Slash Road to north of Highway 401, while a previously revoked middle section has been reinstated to cover the stretch between Airport Road/Bayshore Road and Lower Slash Road. Drivers travelling on Highway 49 through this area should be aware that the speed limit zone layout has changed. Transport operators, fleet managers, and anyone regularly using this corridor should review the updated zone boundaries.