Regular Sector Policy & Advocacy Updates
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The Ministry of Finance is seeking input into the development of the province’s 2026 budget. Municipalities and other interested parties can participate through taking a survey, providing a written submission, and/or attending a pre-budget consultation hearing. Submissions are…
The Digital Governance Standards Institute (DGSI) is initiating the periodic maintenance of its standard released last year: National Standard of Canada CAN/DGSI 111-1, Online Voting – Part 1: Implementation of Online Voting in Canadian Municipal Elections.
The standard…
On November 4, Prime Minister Carney’s Government announced its first budget since taking office this spring. The budget places a large focus on investing in infrastructure, reducing operational spending, and strengthening the economy by increasing productivity and…
Ontario’s fall red tape reduction bill, Bill 56, Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025, has received Royal Assent. This omnibus legislation seeks to streamline regulatory processes, advance labour mobility, and increase competitiveness, making changes to 31 different…
The government has introduced a new bill to promote the construction of new housing, with several proposals affecting municipalities.
If passed, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 would:
Streamline approvals and site plan control
Undertake a section-by-…
The Ministry of the Attorney General is proposing changes to Ontario Regulation 747/21 “Permits” under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 to expand the definition of “tailgate event” to include cultural and community events.
Tailgate event permits can be issued as…
The province has announced the 2026 allocations for the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF). The fund is increasing by $50 million, bringing the total funding to $600 million for 2026.
The OMPF is unconditional funding provided to 388 small, northern, and rural…
The government has announced that it will introduce legislation to overhaul Ontario’s conservation authority system, including consolidating Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into seven regional conservation authorities.
If passed, the legislation will create a new agency,…
The Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) is seeking input in developing its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. They are asking for individuals with a broad range of perspectives to review their current goals and cross-cutting strategies and complete a survey to provide…
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is updating its Lottery Licence Policy Manual to clarify that requiring the mandatory purchasing of charitable lottery products, including for charitable events, is not permitted.
The new section states:
3.7.0 Mandatory…
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