Order in Council 160/2024

On the recommendation of the undersigned, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, by and with the advice and concurrence of the Executive Council of Ontario, orders that:

Whereas the Government of Ontario recognizes the important economic and social contribution that agriculture provides in Ontario;

And whereas section 4 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act provides the Minister with authority in relation to the administration of laws relating to agriculture, food and rural affairs, including all of their branches, as well as such other powers and requires the Minister to perform such other functions and duties as are assigned to the Ministry by the LGIC;

And whereas section 7(1) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act allows the LGIC to establish, upon the recommendation of the Minister, a program for the encouragement of agriculture, food and rural affairs;

And whereas section 7(5) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act allows the LGIC to make Orders-in-Council that have a retroactive effect;

And whereas section 8 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act allows the LGIC to agree to provide, upon the recommendation of the Minister, a guarantee for the payment of any loan or loans made to farmers for the encouragement of any branch of agriculture, food and rural affairs, upon such terms as the LGIC considers proper;

And whereas sections 49 and 54 of the Legislation Act, 2006 have the effect of providing the LGIC with the power to amend, revoke or replace from time to time an order establishing a program under sections 7(1) and 8 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act;

And whereas the Program was originally established pursuant to sections 7(1) and 8 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and is continued under the Previous Order;

And whereas the Minister has recommended to the LGIC the amendments to the Program contained herein;

Now therefore and pursuant to my authority under sections 7(1), 7(5) and 8 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act and sections 49 and 54 of the Legislation Act, 2006, I hereby order the Previous Order be amended as set out herein.

Part 1 – Interpretation Of This Order

1.  
   1. For the purposes of this Order, the following terms will have the following meanings:

      “Order”

      means this Order-in-Council; and

      “Previous Order”

      means Order-in-Council 702/2016, as amended by Order-in-Council 124/2019; Order-in-Council 1368/2021; Order-in-Council 347/2022; and Order-in-Council 170/2023.

   2. Any capitalized term not defined herein will have the same meaning as set out in the Previous Order.

Part 2 – Amendments To Part XI Of The Previous Order

2. The following is added as section 67.1 to the Previous Order:

   67.1 The part of the Loan between the Bruce Feeder Finance Co-Operative Inc. and its Lender for the Purchase Orders that the Bruce Feeder Finance Co-Operative Inc. issued on or after September 1, 2023 until a new Guarantee Agreement is signed between the Bruce Feeder Finance Co-Operative Inc., its Lender and the Minister, are eligible for coverage under the Guarantee based on the same terms and conditions as all other Guarantees issued under the Program.

Part 3 – Transition

3. The Previous Order applies to any matters arising thereunder prior to when this Order comes into effect.
4. Order-in-Council 1920/2023, dated December 14, 2023, is revoked.

This Order comes into effect on September 1, 2023.