2024 Burden Reduction Report: Enhancing Ontario’s communities - Pathways to efficiency and connection

Message from the Minister

In today’s fast-paced and increasingly digital world, our government is getting it done by making sure Ontario remains the best place to live, work and do business. 

We are focused on cutting unnecessary administrative burdens and outdated regulations that stand in the way of economic growth, innovation and a better quality of life for everyone. Our goal is to streamline processes and modernize systems while maintaining our commitment to health and safety and protecting the environment.

This year’s report highlights our progress in cutting red tape and modernizing services across the province. Whether it’s through our “One Fare” initiative, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Housing Act, or modernizing the alcohol marketplace, each represents our unwavering commitment to making life easier and more affordable for businesses, people, and families.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are alleviating burden, simplifying processes and leveraging technology to foster a more competitive and dynamic economy. These changes not only save time and money but also ensure our regulations are fair, transparent, and reflective of the needs of a modern Ontario. Through these efforts, we have achieved over $1 billion in cost savings, benefiting businesses, families, and the broader economy.

Reducing red tape does more than improve efficiency—it empowers people. It is about giving our businesses the freedom to innovate, grow, and succeed, and ensuring everyone can navigate government services with ease and confidence. We aim to enhance communities around Ontario, where opportunities abound, and all residents can thrive.

As we continue this journey, our government remains focused on building a more efficient, responsive, and forward-looking province—one where opportunity and prosperity are within reach for all.

Mike Harris
Minster of Red Tape Reduction

Reducing burdens for individuals while protecting their rights

One Fare Program: making public transit more affordable

In February 2024, we launched the One Fare Program, simplifying travel in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by allowing riders to transfer between participating transit agencies, including GO Transit, on a single fare.

Before this program, transit riders paid multiple fares when transferring between systems like the TTC, GO Transit, Brampton Transit, and others. The One Fare Program, fully funded by the provincial government, eliminates extra costs, making transit more affordable and accessible. Commuters can save up to $1,600 a year, with the program saving customers $38 million in its first five months, making 12 million transfers between the TTC, GO Transit and neighbouring transit systems more affordable.

The One Fare Program applies to commuters transferring between the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay in Mississauga, Peel TransHelp and York Region Transit.

This program puts money back into commuters’ pockets, which leaves more for household budgets and other essential needs. It reduces the stress and complexity of daily commutes, making public transit a more convenient and appealing option for everyone.

One Fare supports our long-term transportation vision to create a more efficient, accessible, and affordable transportation network. We will continue collaborating with municipal partners to further simplify and improve transit options for riders.

Redesigned Tools Grant boosting apprentice applications

The Tools Grant is a non-repayable, taxable cash grant that helps Ontario apprentices cover the cost of trades-related equipment, like tools, protective equipment and clothing. It ranges from $400 to $1,000 depending on the type of trade.

A recent redesign of the Ontario Tools Grant’s digital eligibility notice has reduced barriers to eligible apprentices, leading to a 28% increase in application rates between March and August of 2023.

A new, simplified, personalized eligibility notice provides clear information about the grant and application process to boost applications overall and increase participation from underrepresented groups, such as apprentices who identify as female, Indigenous, newcomer, racialized and persons with a disability.

Fully implemented in late 2023, the notice is expected to result in 1,400 additional applications annually. The improved process adds an extra $900,000 in direct investments into apprentices each year, making it easier for a broader range of apprentices, including those who may have faced barriers in the past, to access the financial support they need to succeed in their trades.

By streamlining access to this grant, we are not only supporting the next generation of skilled tradespeople but also ensuring the trades remain an accessible and viable career option for all, including those from underrepresented communities.

Launching automatic vehicle permit renewal program

Ontario is the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce automatic vehicle permit renewals, simplifying life for over eight million drivers.

Beginning July 1, 2024, licence plates for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds will automatically renew 90 days before expiry. This will save approximately four million vehicle owners over one million hours, worth an estimated $40 million per year and approximately 264,000 impacted businesses 219,000 hours, worth an estimated $7.54 million per year.

To meet the conditions for automatic renewal, vehicle owners must have valid insurance and no outstanding fines or tolls. If the conditions are not met, the owner will be notified and will need to manually renew their licence plate online or at a ServiceOntario location.

This initiative builds on previous efforts by the province’s decision in 2022 to eliminate licence plate sticker fees, reducing administrative burdens, and saving drivers up to $120 annually per vehicle. The current automatic renewal process further reduces the time and effort required for drivers to maintain their vehicle permits.

By taking the hassle out of vehicle permit renewals, this program allows drivers to focus on what matters most—whether it is spending time with family or enjoying leisure activities—without the worry of missing renewal deadlines.

Cancelling fee increases for driver and instructor tests

As part of our ongoing efforts to make things more affordable for families and businesses, the scheduled fee increases for driving knowledge and road tests, as well as driving instructor fees, have been cancelled.

The deferred Consumer Price Index-based fee increases that were set to begin on July 1, 2024, and continue annually, are now cancelled for the next two years. This cost savings will make life easier for drivers and driving instructors.

By cancelling these scheduled fee increases, we are not only providing immediate financial relief but also reinforcing our commitment to making life more affordable.

This initiative directly benefits individuals and businesses across the province, allowing them to allocate their resources toward other essential needs, and supports those in the driving industry by reducing the financial pressures associated with maintaining their licences and certifications.

The Get it Done Act: a step towards economic improvement

We reduced financial burden through the Get it Done Act, 2024 (Bill 162) in May 2024. This legislation freezes fees associated with driver’s licence and Ontario photo card applications and renewals, saving Ontarians $66 million between 2024 and 2029.

The Act also includes provisions to protect against the introduction of a provincial carbon tax, bans new tolls on provincial highways, and ensures existing fees remain affordable. Taken together, cancelling driver’s licence and Ontario photo card fee increases is saving driver’s licence holders an estimated $22 million, making life more affordable and convenient for Ontarians.

Ontario bans exploitative consumer notices of security interest to protect homeowners

Ontario's new Homeowner Protection Act, 2024, safeguards homeowners from the misuse of consumer Notices of Security Interest (NOSIs). The registration of NOSIs was intended to help business secure interests in leased goods that attach to a property, like water heaters and furnaces. Over the past decade, some bad actors have used consumer NOSIs to extort money from unsuspecting homeowners, including seniors and newcomers. These bad actors demanded exorbitant payments to discharge a NOSI from the title to consumers’ land at critical moments, particularly when trying to sell or refinance homes, causing significant financial harm to consumers.

The Act bans the registration of consumer NOSIs on the Land Registry and deems all existing ones expired, protecting homeowners from these exploitative practices and the potential financial harm associated with them. This decisive move protects Ontario homeowners from the misuse of NOSIs and the potential loss of thousands of dollars. The Act also provides homeowners with a faster, simpler way to remove an expired NOSI from land title without needing to obtain a court order, saving them both time and money.

Since the Bill received Royal Assent on June 6, 2024, over 3,660 applications to discharge a consumer NOSI have been received.

Streamlining hunting permits for Ontarians with disabilities

We have made it easier for hunters with severe physical disabilities to enjoy their favourite activity. Through recent updates to the Authorization to Hunt from a Stationary Vehicle or Motorboat permit process, eligible hunters can now access and submit their applications with far less hassle.

What's changed:

• online access: the application form is now available online
• lifetime permits: a new lifetime authorization option has been introduced, eliminating the need for many hunters to reapply every five years. This is a game-changer for those with permanent disabilities like paraplegia or certain amputations
• simplified process: the permit is now part of the licence summary, reducing the amount of paperwork hunters need to carry

These changes are part of our ongoing efforts to reduce red tape and ensure that all Ontarians can continue to participate in the activities they love.

Making child and spousal support easier to collect

For Ontario families, where one partner has moved abroad, collecting cross-border child and spousal support has often been a complicated and time-consuming process. This changed in 2024, thanks to our implementation of the Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance that was ratified by Canada in October 2023.

The Family Responsibility Office now works with over 55 countries across four continents — and counting — to enforce and collect support payments. This means that even if the support payor is halfway across the world, Ontario has the tools to help families secure the financial support they need faster and easier.

The Hague Convention, together with the amendments to the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002 (ISO Act), have reduced pressures on the court system by:

• mandating forms-based applications without involving the court
• removing the need for provisional orders for certain jurisdictions, reducing applications to the Ontario court
• removing the requirement for certified copies of orders to enforce a support order

Additionally, if a foreign support order has been previously registered in a reciprocating jurisdiction in Canada, it may be registered and enforced in Ontario, without being challenged in an Ontario court, further reducing pressures on the court system.

For families with complex cross-border cases, this treaty offers hope. We are taking a critical step forward in ensuring that support payors, no matter where they are, fulfill their obligations. This not only helps families receive the financial support they need and deserve but also provides them with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they have a reliable system in place to protect their financial stability.

A digital Family Responsibility Office: making life easier for families

We are making life better for Ontarians by simplifying services so families can succeed, get ahead, and prosper. The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) continues its digital transformation to reduce red tape burden by updating FRO Online, a portal for clients that allows them submit forms digitally, in addition to traditional routes.

FRO Online gives clients safe and secure 24/7 access to their case information and allows them to submit documents electronically, download a statement of account, connect with their case worker, and now submit forms digitally. FRO has turned what used to be a slow, paper-based process into a modern and user-friendly one. Clients can now submit eight of FRO’s high-use forms with a click of a button.

The results have been remarkable. Since launching digital forms in FRO Online, over 9,500 digital form submissions have been made with just a few simple clicks helping families save time. No more lost papers, no more waiting for the mail—everything is now at their fingertips. Clients are getting things done faster, with fewer mistakes and less hassle.

Digital submissions help ensure that help reaches families more efficiently, providing quicker and more reliable support. By submitting forms online, families avoid delays caused by mail processing and can quickly get their support payments. This streamlined process reduces the wait time from weeks to just minutes, so families receive their support payments much sooner.

The story of FRO’s digital transformation is one of innovation and commitment to better service. By embracing technology, we are saving families time by getting them the support they need quickly and efficiently. This is just the beginning, with more digital advancements on the horizon, we will keep cutting red tape to make life easier for everyone involved.

Supporting stronger communities: housing, health care, and transportation

Making housing more affordable and accessible

We are tackling the housing crisis head-on with new land use planning changes introduced through the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024. These changes reduce barriers and accelerate planning approvals, saving time and money for municipalities, universities, developers, and the Ontario Land Tribunal.

One key change is the removal of parking minimums near major transit stations. For example, building an underground parking space in a new development can cost up to $100,000—a cost passed on to homebuyers. By eliminating these parking requirements in transit-accessible areas, we are helping lower housing costs, potentially saving developers and homeowners up to $255 million annually across the province.

This initiative offers key benefits, including:

• development projects located within areas of transit can save between $1 million to over $10 million in construction costs, depending on the amount of parking provided in a single project
• the Act changes allow the market to determine the appropriate amount of parking in a new development, including where it makes sense given demonstrated demand
• landowners in these areas are no longer subjected to arbitrary minimum parking requirements.

This Act also prioritizes student housing by exempting university projects from lengthy rezoning and site plan approvals, saving universities up to 1,456 staff hours and $74,600 per year, enabling faster construction of student residences.

Together, these changes are designed to make housing more affordable, ensuring that communities can grow and thrive without unnecessary delays.

Land development review improvements: enhancing efficiency and reducing costs

In February 2024, we launched an improved land development review process, streamlining the way businesses, stakeholders, and members of the public engage with land development approvals. This new approach replaces the outdated system, with a more centralized and efficient online process designed to reduce approval times and improve transparency.

The new system allows municipalities and developers to:

• submit land development applications online (e.g., site plans, consents, severances, plans of subdivision)
• track the status of their submissions online against target dates
• receive and access ministry comments online.

The Ministry of Transportation reviews approximately 2,000 land development applications annually. The new process could reduce approval times for businesses by 10 to 15%, which is three to six days’ worth of time saved for the end-to-end process. Speeding up the approvals results in significant cost savings by avoiding project delays and minimizing frustration for proponents and municipalities.

Introducing Building Infrastructure Safely Act, 2024

In Ontario, digging during construction risks hitting underground infrastructure like gas lines, telecommunications cables or water mains.

Ontario One Call is an administrative authority responsible for coordinating requests from excavators for the location of underground infrastructure. One Call aims to increase the efficiency, timeliness, and coordination of digging activities by promoting safe digging practices.

Before March 2024, there was no legal prohibition on underground infrastructure owners and operators from charging fees for locating their buried assets. Charging fees for locates could lead to increased costs, safety risks, and delays to construction.

The Building Infrastructure Safely Act, 2024 (BISA) was amended to explicitly prohibit the charging of fees for locates of underground infrastructure. This ensures that practices in Ontario are consistent with the best practices in other jurisdictions in Canada and the U.S. To further promote growth and development, additional amendments were made under BISA to streamline steps for excavators when locates are completed late, better align One Call’s powers and responsibilities with other administrative authorities and enhance regulation-making powers.

To address concerns about the impact of late locates on construction projects across the province, we made regulatory changes in May 2024 that have led to improvements in locate delivery timelines. These changes are intended to help keep costs down for construction projects by providing underground infrastructure owners and operators up to 10 business days to provide locates for large projects, rather than the five-business day requirement for standard locates to be completed.

Also in May 2024, regulatory changes came into effect that allow One Call to issue administrative penalties to address non-compliance with the One Call Act, including penalties for late locates. One Call reports that since these regulations came into effect, late locates have decreased by 64% to 9.7% in comparison to the late locate rate of 26.8% for the same period (January to June) in 2023.

These changes help support our effort to cut red tape and to get critical infrastructure projects like building homes, schools, and hospitals more efficiently and safely.

Accelerating construction timelines for the Hazel McCallion LRT line

We are prioritizing the Hazel McCallion Light Rail Transit (HMLRT) line extensions by designating these extensions as a priority transit project. As a result, construction timelines can be expedited, and shovels are getting into the ground faster.

This move adds the HMLRT line extensions to the list of Ontario’s existing transit priority projects, including the Ontario Line and Scarborough Subway Extension. Accelerating the HMLRT extensions will reduce road congestion, improve access to growing employment areas, and attract business investment in Mississauga and Brampton.

The HMLRT line extensions include 18 kilometres of new dedicated rapid transit. It will have 19 stops with connections to GO Transit’s Milton and Lakeshore West rail lines, Mississauga MiWay, Brampton Transit and the Mississauga Transitway. Reducing red tape with these critical transit projects will improve travel time reliability, support economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for residents in two of Canada’s fastest-growing cities.

Reducing administrative burden for family doctors with AI scribes

On average, family doctors and primary care providers spend an average of 19 hours per week on administrative tasks.

To help family doctors and other primary care providers spend more time with their patients and less time on duplicative paperwork, an innovative pilot program introduced Artificial intelligence (AI) scribes to more than 150 primary care providers.

These AI scribes, with patient consent, automatically summarize or transcribe conversations by integrating seamlessly with Electronic Medical Records, reducing documentation time by nearly four hours a week.

The use of AI scribes cut the time spent documenting clinical appointments by 71% allowing primary care providers to spend more time with patients resulting in a better patient experience and more accurate records.

We know using new and innovative technology will play a critical role as we continue to look for ways to provide better care for patients.

Expanding Ontario's health care workforce: practice ready assessment for international physicians

To continue to grow Ontario’s health care workforce to connect people to the care they need for years to come, we launched the Practice Ready Ontario program to make it faster and easier for qualified, internationally educated physicians to practice.

Previously, these physicians were required to undergo lengthy re-education programs before they could practice in Ontario. This program will also work to expand the health care workforce in northern and rural areas across Ontario as it requires physicians to complete a return of service in one of these communities.

The first group of up to 30 physicians will complete their clinical field assessments by winter 2024, with additional cohorts set to follow in late 2024 and 2025.

Through the Practice Ready Ontario program, we expect to have over 100 internationally trained family physicians ready to serve in rural areas by 2025, enhancing health care across the province.

Modernizing alcohol in the marketplace

In July 2024, we rolled out the most significant expansion of the alcohol marketplace since the end of prohibition almost 100 years ago. The first phase allowed licensed grocery stores to sell ready-to-drink beverages and larger packs of beer. By September, convenience stores joined in, with new grocery store licences set to follow in October. Altogether, up to 8,500 new outlets could soon be offering a wider range of alcohol products across the province.

To facilitate this rollout, we have streamlined the licensing process by merging and automatically updating existing licences, cutting down on red tape and reducing the time from application to approval of grocery store licences to less than a day. New entrants are also exempt from immediate tax compliance checks, giving them time to focus on their business.

This expansion aims to make life easier and save time for people across the province Ontario – giving them more choices, closer to home, especially in underserved rural and northern areas. For small businesses, like local convenience stores, this change means growth, opportunity, and a chance to better serve their communities in new ways.

Streamlining licensing and registration for the agriculture sector

We have significantly reduced regulatory burden by streamlining and digitizing the licensing and registration process for agri-food business licences, certificates and permits at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. This effort aligns with the Grow Ontario Strategy to deliver simpler, faster, and better public services.

Prior to the completion of the Licensing Modernization Project, stakeholders submitted over 1,000 licence and registration applications annually via mail, leading to inefficiencies. The modernization project introduced a user-friendly licensing portal that simplifies the application process. The final 12 forms were digitized and published by June 2024, marking the project's completion.

The project has saved over 1,200 hours annually for businesses and ministry processing time, making online payments 90% more efficient.

Strengthening consumer protection and reducing administrative burden in Ontario's motor vehicle sales industry

To better protect consumers and support the motor vehicle industry, we amended the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002 (MVDA) and its General Regulation.

These changes enhance consumer protection and reduce outdated administrative burdens for dealers and salespersons.

We increased the minimum fine for acting as a motor vehicle dealer or salesperson without being registered from $2,500 to $5,000, to better deter illegal activities, safeguard consumers by protecting them from exploitation by illegal dealers and ensuring a level playing field for dealers and salespersons who follow the rules.

The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) regulates more than 8,000 dealers and 30,000 salespeople across Ontario. In 2023, OMVIC laid 839 charges against 118 unregistered motor vehicle dealers.

Recognizing the industry’s evolution, we also made several updates to the General Regulation under the MVDA:

• registration documentation: removed the requirement for motor vehicle dealers and salespersons to return their registration certificate when they are no longer registered, since OMVIC now provides registrant certificates electronically
• warranty documentation: extended the time for dealers to provide warranty documents and payments to warranty sellers, to better align with what is feasible for dealers and warranty sellers
• advertising flexibility: simplified contact information requirements in ads
• Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) disclosures: simplified CAMVAP disclosure requirements in sales contracts, making things simpler for dealers and salespersons while maintaining important consumer disclosures.

These updates strengthen consumer protection while reducing unnecessary burdens on dealers, helping them thrive in a competitive market. The motor vehicle industry remains a key contributor to Ontario’s economy and these changes support its continued growth and integrity.

Eliminating filming fees at the Archives of Ontario

In the past, a $6,300 daily fee was required for third-party vendors to film at the Archives of Ontario, creating a significant financial barrier for new and emerging artists. This fee, established in 2014, often discouraged filmmakers and creators from utilizing the Archives as a filming location, limiting the exposure and accessibility of Ontario's rich historical resources.

Recognizing the need to make the Archives more accessible, Ontario has permanently waived this filming fee. By removing this financial obstacle, businesses, organizations, and artists now have greater freedom to explore and showcase Ontario's history through their work. This change not only supports creative industries but also promotes the Archives as a key resource for historical storytelling.

This fee waiver opens the door for more innovative projects, encouraging a broader range of creators to engage with and share the province's unique heritage.

Streamlined business service standards under the At Your Service Act, 2022

Ontario businesses have long struggled with unclear timelines for permits and licences, often facing delays and frustration. The At Your Service Act, 2022 is changing that, making government services more transparent and accountable.

As of January 1, 2025, business service standards will be published on Ontario.ca and set clear expectations for how quickly permits and licences should be processed across all channels—online, phone, or in-person. These standards will be regularly published and reported on, ensuring ministries stay accountable.

We are dedicated to making it easier for businesses to access government information and services, reducing the administrative burden and meeting the changing needs of businesses.

In April 2024, Ontario launched the Permit Navigation Tool that helps business find out what permits and licences they require, and “Check Your Permit or Licence Application Status” tracker where business can see the status of applications for specific permits. The tracker was launched with one set of permits and will expand to include additional provincial permits.

With these updates, we are making it easier for businesses to operate, ensuring they have the clarity, predictability and efficiency needed to succeed.

Driving change: the Digital Dealership Registration evolution

In the past, car dealerships in Ontario had to send staff to ServiceOntario to register sold vehicles in-person, spending time and money and leaving customers waiting.

Digital Dealership Registration (DDR), launched in 2022, changed all this by enabling dealerships to handle vehicle registration, permits, and licence plates online—right from the showroom. This shift not only streamlined operations but also sped up the process for customers to drive off in their new or used vehicles.

A series of updates have continually added efficiency and scope to DDR. These include tools for managing stock on site, such as licence plates and permits, a pilot program for rental companies to register vehicles, and new features for leases and joint registrations, and the addition of more vehicle types.

The impact has been significant. DDR has enabled dealerships to complete more than 24,000 transactions on site instead of sending staff to a ServiceOntario centre – saving dealerships time and money and providing customers convenience. Participating dealerships reported saving at least four hours a month by being able to process transactions on-site.

DDR is making it easier for dealerships to do business, enhancing the customer experience and improving service delivery to Ontarians.

Business registry revamp saves time and money for businesses

To reduce the administrative burden on Ontario businesses, ServiceOntario introduced the Partner Portal, a streamlined, cost-effective way for businesses to access registry services.

This channel now allows businesses to use intermediaries like lawyers and accountants for filings, alongside existing options. The portal provides immediate issuance of Company Keys, essential for online business profiles as well as online profile reports, improving accessibility and efficiency.

Over 160,000 businesses now use the portal, saving businesses over $51 million. This is just one example of Ontario’s commitment to strengthening our business environment.

Tracking our progress

The Modernizing Ontario for People and Businesses Act, 2020 (MOPBA) continues to shape how we streamline legislation, policies, and processes, focusing on reducing regulatory burdens across the government. This Act ensures that we follow key principles, such as adopting recognized standards, easing compliance for small businesses, offering accessible digital services, and eliminating redundant reporting.

MOPBA sets a framework for modernizing regulation in Ontario, shaping policy development and regulatory changes to foster efficiency. 

As part of our commitment to accountability and transparency, we are providing a ministry-by-ministry breakdown of regulatory reduction progress.

As of June 29, 2018, we started with a baseline tally of Regulatory Compliance Requirements (RCRs). RCRs are the necessary steps that businesses and organizations must undertake to adhere to legal requirements, often articulated through terms like “shall,” “must,” and “required.

In the last six years, we have reduced the number of RCRs by 5.7%.

Regulatory compliance requirements by ministry

Table excludes ministries that do not have any regulatory requirements.

Reducing regulatory compliance costs

Over the past six years, we have reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario. Since June 29, 2018, we have eliminated over $1 billion in annualized compliance costs for businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and the broader public sector.

While the addition of new compliance costs is sometimes necessary when implementing new programs, policies or regulations, the Modernizing Ontario for People and Businesses Act, 2020 requires that every $1 of increased compliance costs be offset by $1.25 in compliance cost-savings.

The baseline count has been adjusted to remove an instrument that does not apply to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' (OMAFRA) baseline count of statutes and regulations.