Ontario Building Safer and Stronger Communities

On Monday, November 18, 2024, the Ontario government introduced legislation that, if passed, will help keep streets and communities safe and hold criminals accountable. The Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act includes targeted measures to help support public safety near supervised consumption sites, crack down on auto theft and careless driving, enhance the tools police can use to manage sex offenders, tackle illegal cannabis sales and support access to justice. The government is also exploring measures to improve the collection of bail statistics as part of its ongoing calls for Criminal Code reform.

“Our government is keeping our communities safe and holding criminals accountable,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “Today, we’re proposing impactful changes to strengthen tools for police officers, improve access to justice and eliminate dangerous activity that puts hard-working people at risk. In Ontario, crime doesn’t pay.”

Building on recent legislation and community safety initiatives, the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act will, if passed:

• Carry through on the government’s previously announced commitment to protect children and families by prohibiting the operation of supervised consumption sites within 200 metres of a school, licensed child-care centre or EarlyON Child and Family Centre through the creation of the Community Care and Recovery Act, 2024
• Require municipalities and local boards to seek provincial approval prior to making or supporting requests for new supervised consumption sites
• Introduce new penalties for fraud related to vehicle identification numbers (VIN) and further combat careless driving through the Highway Traffic Act
• Give police services more tools to monitor sex offenders and investigate sex crimes through Christopher’s Law (Sex Offender Registry), 2000 and make individuals with active reporting requirements ineligible from legally changing their name, through the Change of Name Act
• Support terrorism victims by amending the Limitations Act, 2002 to remove the limitation period for lawsuits under the federal Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act
• Prohibit advertising and promoting the sale of illegal cannabis through the Cannabis Control Act, 2017

“Our government is making bold and innovative changes to keep communities safe while improving access to mental health and addictions services that focuses on prevention and treatment, meeting people and their families where they are and putting them on a path to recovery,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “These proposed changes to consumption treatment sites, along with the $378 million investment we are making in new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, will support community safety along with the recovery of those struggling with opioid addiction.”

“Our government has been crystal clear, enough is enough,” said Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform Graham McGregor. “We continue to call for meaningful bail reform. Our legislation today will make our streets safer and our communities stronger. The federal government needs to step up and do the same.”

To support the commitment of creating safer communities, the government continues to call on the federal government for enhanced bail measures to keep repeat and violent offenders off Ontario streets.

In addition to amendments proposed in the act, the government is also exploring several initiatives such as:

• Proclaiming the month of November each year as Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month to raise awareness about the importance of local partnerships in combatting crime.
• Expansion of Justice Centres – Integrated Treatment Courts to address the underlying causes of crime
• Examining opportunities to engage on and modernize the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005