Introduction

Red tape is a significant barrier to productivity, economic development, as well as domestic and international growth. Since 2018, we’ve taken over 500 actions to save people, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, universities and colleges, school boards and hospitals time and money. Once fully implemented, the steps in the Spring 2024 Red Tape Reduction Package will build on the actions Ontario has taken to cut red tape to date, saving people and businesses over 1.5 million hours and $1.2 billion every year.

Our A- score in the most recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ Red Tape Report Card is proof our efforts to reduce red tape are working, positioning us among the best in the country. However, more work needs to be done.

As Ontario continues to grow, we are taking action to make government more efficient for workers, business owners, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, families and everyone helping to build Ontario.

Guiding principles

Ontario will never stop working to improve government services and reduce unnecessary burdens on people and businesses. We’re striving to make life easier through several significant burden reduction and regulatory modernization initiatives.

Our work to transform Ontario into a modern and efficient regulator is guided by seven principles:

  1. use recognized national or international standards
  2. apply a small business lens
  3. create a “tell-us-once” culture to avoid businesses providing the same information to us repeatedly
  4. go digital by delivering simple and straightforward online services and products
  5. reward good actors by using risk-based inspections where possible
  6. focus on the user by writing in plain language and providing a single point of contact
  7. use outcomes-based regulations and state the outcome you want achieved instead of how to achieve the outcome

Saving you time

Stringent, outdated rules, excessive paperwork and a lack of transparency lead to frustration and delays. Here’s how we’re saving you time by simplifying and streamlining services and interactions with government.

Service standards for business

Businesses need consistent, predictable timelines to plan their work. We are introducing a regulation to require ministries to develop and report publicly on service standards for permits and licence services delivered to businesses. We are also working on an online permit tracker to make it easier for businesses to track the status of their application, as well as providing clear, consolidated information on requirements. Knowing how long it usually takes to get the permits and licences they need will enable businesses to work more efficiently and spend less time navigating through red tape. This is part of our ongoing efforts to establish a single-window for business approach, making it easier and faster to interact with government.

Automated vehicle permit validation

In the Spring 2022 Red Tape Reduction Package, licence plate validation stickers and renewal fees were eliminated for passenger vehicles, light-duty commercial vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds, but vehicle owners were still required to renew permits on an annual or biannual basis at no cost. Building on this initiative, and in line with our other changes to save you time and money, we are updating our process to renew eligible vehicle permits (licence plates) automatically for vehicle owners in good standing.

Supporting municipal incentives for economic growth

We are taking the steps needed to compete for the type of global, game-changing investments that create good-paying jobs in Ontario and build our economy. We are proposing changes that would allow for regulations to be made to enable a municipality to provide incentives to specified businesses, if necessary or desirable in the provincial interest to attract investment in Ontario. This would enable Ontario to level the playing field for communities and respond quickly to opportunities for attracting new investment and with it, new jobs and prosperity.

Streamlining registration for Internationally Educated Health Professionals

Ontario is grappling with a critical shortage of healthcare professionals. To help ensure Ontarians receive timely, competent, and high-quality care, we are streamlining the registration process for internationally educated healthcare professionals. These changes will make it faster and easier for Internationally Educated Health Professionals to start working in Ontario, and provide greater access to care, choices in care providers, and shorter wait times for patients.

These new changes will build on Ontario’s “As of Right” rules that came into effect last year to make it faster and easier for out-of-province physicians, nurses, medical laboratory technologists, and respiratory therapists to work in Ontario’s public hospitals and long-term care homes. In February 2024, Ontario was recognized with a Golden Scissors Award from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business for the “As of Right” rules.

Keeping costs down

High costs and slow approvals lead to missed opportunities for economic growth, job creation and development. Here’s how we’re reducing red tape to increase economic competitiveness and save individuals and businesses money.

Modernizing Leave-to-Construct approvals for projects

We are proposing legislative changes that would help reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, delays, and costs to help build roads, transit and new housing faster by extending the exemption to pipeline relocations required for priority transit projects or projects that require new land if certain criteria are met. We are also proposing to cut unnecessary red tape around other existing exemptions, including the current requirement that Leave-to-Construct be granted for reconstruction of pipelines, even when a pipeline is decreasing in size.

Modernizing the Line Fences Act

We are modernizing the Line Fences Act – one of the oldest pieces of Ontario legislation that has not been updated to reflect current best practices. The proposed changes would make the Act work more efficiently for parties in disputes being addressed through this Act, reducing the burden for property owners and municipalities. The amendment would also see the Act reflect changes in communications technology, including allowing municipalities to send notices under the Act electronically.

Other amendments and proposed burden reduction actions

Waiving fees for access to services for Indigenous people

We are advancing reconciliation and making it easier and more affordable for Indigenous people to access records and services. There is now a one-window process that eliminates the need to request death searches from two offices — the Archives of Ontario and ServiceOntario’s Office of the Registrar General. As part of this process, fees are being permanently waived for death registration searches, death certificates, and certified copies of death registrations. Fees are also being waived to register a delayed registration of death for children who attended Indian Residential Schools. These permanent fee waivers provide ongoing financial relief for impacted Indigenous communities and families.

Increasing Ontario’s Collision Reporting Threshold

The Ontario government is proposing to increase the dollar amount of damages required to report a motor vehicle collision to police. Where the collision involves damage to property only, the province is proposing to shift the requirement from $2,000 to $5,000. Collisions involving personal injuries, property damage exceeding $5,000, or the door of a motor vehicle coming into contact with a cyclist or a moving vehicle (e.g. “dooring”) will still need to be reported to police. Raising the amount for damages for reporting collisions where no one is injured to the police will help reduce the administrative burden on drivers, commercial vehicle operators, and police services.

Waiving fees to improve access for artists and creators

Third party vendors had to pay a daily $6,300 fee to film at the Archives of Ontario. This often inhibited new and emerging artists and creators from considering the Archives as a site for their work. Ontario is no longer charging fees for third party vendors to film at the Archives of Ontario. This reduces financial burden for businesses, organizations and artists and provides them with easier access to the historical information available at the Archives of Ontario.

Authority to Delegate for Skilled Trades Ontario’s Registrar

The Ontario government is proposing legislative amendments to the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 that would allow Skilled Trades Ontario’s (STO) CEO/Registrar to delegate their duties and powers to one or more STO employee(s) temporarily. This would help prevent delays in service, and would support STO in responding to growing demand as the government continues to promote the skilled trades as a rewarding career path.

Email Service for Notices and Documents

The Ontario government is proposing regulation changes under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 to improve user experience for tradespersons and apprentices by allowing email service of certain notices and documents. The proposal could also support ministry inspectors in issuing compliance orders and/or notices of contravention via email, saving everyone time.

Streamlining educational institution governance

Amending the composition of the Board in the Université de Hearst Act

The Ontario government is proposing to amend the Université de Hearst Act, 2021 to reduce the size of the university’s board of governors. This change would allow the university to have a board proportionate to the size of the institution, aligning with sector best practices.

Amendments to the Redeemer Reformed Christian College Act

The Ontario government is proposing to amend the Redeemer Reformed Christian College Act, 1998 to reduce the size and simplify the composition of Redeemer University’s board of governors. These changes would allow its board to operate efficiently and govern effectively to provide a better postsecondary experience for students.

Amending An Act to Incorporate the Trinity College School

The Ontario government is proposing to amend an Act to Incorporate the Trinity College School. Specifically, the ministry is proposing to remove non-active members from the governing body of the school, such as the Chancellor of Trinity College, the Provost of Trinity College and the Headmaster, to streamline governance and reduce administrative burden.

Simplified services for Ontarians

Making payments easier and more modern

The Ontario government is proposing a change in regulation that would allow the government to accept credit and debit cards, and other modern forms of payment from debtors who owe money to the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund. Currently, a debtor must repay the government in cash or by certified cheque, bank draft or money order.

Modernizing Ontario’s transfer payment system

The Transfer Payment Ontario system is the OPS's single digital enterprise-wide platform for administering transfer payments. It helps ensure a common approach to transfer payment programming and simplifies program administration by streamlining access to funding and reducing administrative burden for recipients. In addition, it helps government make data-driven decisions, while making it easier for citizens and organizations to interact with government.

Enabling faster and better communication with prospective jurors

The Ontario government is proposing to amend the Coroners Act to require the Ministry of the Attorney General to provide additional information (including phone numbers, e-mail addresses and language preference) from the jury roll to help reduce the time and effort by the coroner when selecting prospective jurors. This change will improve communications with prospective jurors and ensure the Office of the Chief Coroner is able to conduct inquests efficiently and effectively.

Making business easier for animal protectors

The Ontario government is proposing to repeal the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Corporation Act, 2022 by way of an Order in Council to ensure administrative efficiencies and eliminate a law that is no longer required.

Better brand awareness and easier administration for arts and tourism organizations

The Ontario government is seeking to make changes that would help the Ontario Arts Council, Destination Ontario and Ontario Creates support brand awareness and remove needless complications by matching their legal names with their common, publicly recognized names: the Province of Ontario Council for the Arts to be changed to Ontario Arts Council; the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation to be changed to Destination Ontario; and the Ontario Media Development Corporation to be changed to Ontario Creates.

Streamlining Board Governance for the Niagara Parks Commission

The Ontario government is proposing amendments to the Niagara Parks Act to streamline municipal appointee requirements by removing the requirement for an annual resolution for municipal representatives on the Niagara Parks Commission Board, instead requiring one resolution at the beginning of a council term. This change would not affect municipal representation on the board and aligns the Niagara Parks Act with other similar agency acts that include municipal representation on their respective boards.