Government Continuing to Deliver on Mandate to Protect Ontario

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s fall sitting has concluded following the passage of 12 government bills that deliver on the government’s plan to protect Ontario by building the most competitive, self-reliant and resilient economy in the G7. This legislation includes important measures aimed at cutting red tape, unleashing Ontario’s economy, investing in infrastructure, supporting workers, improving services and making life more affordable. The government also made progress on a number of other important initiatives in support of its plan to protect Ontario, including making Ontario an energy superpower and unlocking critical minerals in the Ring of Fire and across Northern Ontario.

“As Ontario workers and businesses continue to face down the uncertainty and upheaval caused by President Trump’s tariffs, our government is focused on protecting our province by creating a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Over the last few months, we have continued to deliver on our plan to support workers and families by investing in infrastructure, keeping costs down, creating new opportunities for trade, cutting red tape to attract investment, building critical energy infrastructure and unlocking our vast reserves of critical minerals in the Ring of Fire in partnership with First Nations. These measures are helping keep workers on the job today and they’re creating the opportunity for long-term growth and economic prosperity for decades to come.”

During the fall sitting, the government took historic steps to unlock the Ring of Fire by signing community partnership agreements with Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation, which will see shovels in the ground on multiple segments of the road to the Ring of Fire by next year. These agreements provide historic support for infrastructure and community benefits for First Nations, while delivering on the government’s promise to build all-season roads to the Ring of Fire, which has the potential to add $22 billion and 70,000 jobs to Ontario’s economy.

Ontario also made progress on its plan to ensure the province has the affordable, reliable and clean energy it needs to build new homes, create jobs and power a resilient and self-reliant economy by partnering with the federal government in October to build the first Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the G7. Ontario’s SMRs will power 1.2 million homes, create 18,000 construction jobs and support thousands of long-term careers while contributing $38.5 billion to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product over 65 years. The government also announced its support for the refurbishment of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, supporting its plan to secure Ontario’s place as an energy superpower as well as supporting nearly 37,000 jobs during the refurbishment and operation of the plant.

The government also saw major progress on important infrastructure projects, including the substantial completion of the Finch West LRT and Eglinton Crosstown LRT, early works on Highway 413, continued progress on the Bradford Bypass, the opening of the Confederation GO Station in Hamilton, expanded GO service across the network (including the first-ever weekend GO service to Kitchener) and continued historic investments in housing-enabling infrastructure through Ontario’s $4 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.

The province is also continuing to deliver on its $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan under the leadership of Dr. Jane Philpott, with the goal of connecting everyone in Ontario to a primary care provider or family doctor by 2029. Through this plan, the government has created and expanded more than 130 primary care teams to connect more than 300,000 people to care and is investing up to $300 million in primary care teaching clinics to train the next generation of family doctors. Since the launch of the plan in January 2025, the Health Care Connect waitlist to connect to a primary care provider has already been reduced by more than 70 per cent. In November, the province also celebrated the opening of the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, part of its nearly $60 billion plan to build and upgrade more than 50 hospitals across Ontario.

Over the coming months, the government will continue delivering on its mandate to protect Ontario by working with the federal government to advance other nation-building infrastructure projects, creating opportunities for workers and businesses, meeting with community members, municipal partners and other stakeholders and implementing the legislation that has been passed during the recent sitting.

Since the second session of the 44th Parliament began on October 20, the government has introduced and passed legislation, including the 2025 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: A Plan to Protect Ontario, that will:

• Prioritize Ontario-made goods and services in public procurement to make sure Ontario tax dollars support Ontario workers through the Buy Ontario Act, 2025
• Cut red tape and support trade, investment and economic growth to strengthen Ontario’s competitiveness through the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025
• Get shovels in the ground faster by cutting red tape and streamlining approvals through the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025
• Reduce regulatory burdens to save people and businesses $5.8 million and more than 256,000 hours every year through the Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act, 2025
• Enable growth and resilience in the province’s energy system to meet rising demand, while keeping energy affordable, secure, reliable and clean for Ontarians through the Protect Ontario by Securing Affordable Energy for Generations Act, 2025
• Strengthen government oversight, accountability and transparency in public school boards, postsecondary education and children’s aid societies through the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025
• Implement measures to help more workers train for in-demand jobs, strengthen worker health and safety and protect workers affected by U.S. tariffs through the Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025
• Help communities reduce risks of wildland fires and hazardous oil and gas wells and enable safe use of carbon storage technology through the Resource Management and Safety Act, 2025
• Enhance public safety and disaster response measures and make Ontario Corps a key function of emergency responses in the province through the Emergency Management Modernization Act, 2025
• Strengthen local governance in Peel Region by transferring delivery of two public works services from Peel Region to local municipalities through the Peel Transition Implementation Act, 2025
• Support growth in Simcoe County by unlocking up to 8,000 new homes and enabling major economic investments, including the Barrie GO Line expansion and the Bradford Bypass, by transferring nearly 1,700 hectares of land to the City of Barrie through the Barrie-Oro-Medonte-Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act, 2025.

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