2025 Burden Reduction Report

A message from the Minister

In a time of global uncertainty, protecting Ontario means getting rid of red tape to protect what matters most: our people, our jobs and our economy.

The 2025 Burden Reduction Report highlights how far we’ve come and where we’re headed. By tracking our progress and measuring what works, we’re building a stronger future and keeping Ontario competitive for the long term.

Since 2018, our government has reduced the regulatory burden by nearly 6 per cent, delivering nearly $1.2 billion and 1.8 million hours in annual savings for people and businesses. In a time where every hour counts and every dollar matters, these savings are more than just numbers — they represent meaningful action we are taking to protect our economy and boost our competitive advantage.

This isn’t deregulation – it’s modernization. We are modernizing how government works – from reviewing permitting processes to unlock major economic development projects, to eliminating outdated requirements that slow down progress and streamlining service delivery for people and businesses, we are cutting red tape so people and job creators can get back to what they do best: building, creating and innovating.

For example, we are stabilizing and supporting those in charge of burden reduction work by harnessing the power of AI for government to scan and analyze laws, regulations and forms to identify red tape. This AI powered tool will help us spot indicators of burden, starting with outdated or out-of-date requirements faster than ever before, positioning Ontario as a national leader in AI-driven burden reduction.

Our goal is simple: to make life easier and more affordable for everyone. By cutting red tape, we are working to transform Ontario’s economy into the most competitive place in the world to invest, create jobs and do business. These efforts reflect our commitment to protect Ontario by helping job creators succeed, delivering better services to families and ensuring our economy stays resilient in a changing world.

We will continue cutting red tape and removing outdated rules, so Ontario stays competitive, our communities remain strong and our people have every opportunity to succeed.

Andrea Khanjin
Minister of Red Tape Reduction

Making life easier for Ontarians

Going paperless: saving costs and streamlining Ontario Works

Ontario Works clients used to receive monthly paper Statements of Assistance and dental cards by mail, which was a time-consuming process for municipalities and District Social Services Administration Boards (FRO). With over 198,000 clients, postage and paper costs were projected to exceed $5.3 million annually.

To reduce this burden, we launched the Paperless Ontario Works initiative, gradually rolling it out from 2021 to July 2024. Clients registered for the online MyBenefits service are automatically enrolled in paperless communications, receiving their statements digitally unless they opt for mail. Paper dental cards have also been eliminated, with benefit information now accessible online.

The shift has led to immediate savings for delivery partners, freeing up millions for reinvestment in service improvements, like enhanced client benefits and electronic document management. Today, 91 per cent of MyBenefits users are paperless, marking a major step forward in enhancing Ontario Works and streamlining operations.

Putting patients first: ending sick note requirements in Ontario

Until recently, Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) allowed employers to request sick notes for the 3 unpaid sick days employees are entitled to each year. This created unnecessary paperwork for health care providers and forced sick individuals to visit clinics just to obtain documentation.

To reduce this burden and to protect patients, we amended the ESA through the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024, which came into effect on October 28, 2024. Employers can no longer require medical notes for the 3 ESA job-protected unpaid sick-leave days, though they may request other forms of evidence, such as attestations, to maintain accountability.

This change puts patients before paperwork, easing pressure on health care professionals who, according to the Ontario Medical Association, spend up to 4 hours a week writing notes and forms. It also helps Ontarians avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor when they’re unwell, while preserving workplace trust and flexibility.

eWrits: speeding up support enforcement for Ontario families

The transformation of how writs are administrated across Ontario is improving efficiency in courts and delivering real results for families. When a parent fails to pay child or spousal support, the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) can issue a Writ of Seizure and Sale to enforce payment. But until recently, this process was slow and paper-based, involving multiple ministries and staff and often taking up to 3 months to complete. 

Building on the broader Writs Transformation Strategy, FRO has moved to electronic writs (eWrits), which decreases that timeframe from months to between 24 and 48 hours. This process demonstrates how digitization can accelerate enforcement and improve outcomes for those relying on court-ordered support. The system provides an electronic interface that allows FRO to file, update and withdraw writs quickly. This is through a direct connection between FRO’s Case Management System and Ontario’s Electronic Land Registration System.

This digital initiative reflects a coordinated effort to reform justice services and reduce administrative burdens across the province.

Making it easier to build additional residential units in Ontario

Ontario is facing housing supply challenges, and additional residential units (ARUs), such as garden suites, laneway homes and basement apartments, offer a practical solution. However, homeowners wishing to build an ARU previously faced costly and time-consuming rezoning or minor variance processes, along with inconsistent rules depending on where they lived.

To remove these barriers, we standardized rules for ARUs across the province and reduced or eliminated the need for rezoning before construction.

This has resulted in saving municipalities and homebuilders an estimated $1.7 million annually in direct costs. Homeowners also benefit from streamlined approvals for ARUs, saving them time and money. The changes also support multi-generational living and rental income opportunities, helping families manage mortgages and increase housing options.

For homebuilders and planning professionals, the impact is even greater. Simplified rules and faster approvals can save 12 to 15 months and up to $50,000 in soft costs per project. This initiative helps increase housing supply, reduce red tape and support Ontario businesses, making it easier to build the homes people need.

Strengthening public health – roles and responsibilities

Outdated public pool requirements created unnecessary staffing costs and administrative burdens for operators.

To address this, we updated public pool regulations, removing unnecessary requirements and providing operators with clear, practical rules that align with today’s facilities. The changes ensure regulations are up-to-date and safety standards remain strong.

The updates are projected to save municipal and business pool owners and operators an estimated $25 million annually, while giving operators updated rules that make sense for today’s pools and customers.

Expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners

Previously, only physicians could complete Mandatory Blood Testing Act forms, adding to their workload and limiting the health system’s ability to respond efficiently to patient needs. This meant physicians were spending time on administrative tasks rather than direct patient care, while the expertise of nurse practitioners was underutilized.

To ease this burden, we expanded the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, allowing them to complete these forms. This change recognizes the training and expertise of nurse practitioners while better balancing responsibilities across the health-care system.

As a result, physicians can dedicate more time to patient care, nurse practitioners can use their full skill set and Ontarians benefit from a more efficient and responsive health-care system.

Centralization of Broader Real Estate Authority initiative

Ontario’s real estate portfolio is one of the largest in Canada. While real estate is one of the government’s greatest resources, previously there was no centralized approach for the management and decision-making of real estate across government. Real estate authority and responsibility was spread across more than 60 provincial entities, including ministries and agencies, each operating with individual processes, protocols, decisions and transactions throughout the real estate life cycle.

To improve the system, we launched the Centralization of Broader Real Estate Authority (CBREA) initiative to create a more centralized approach to help manage and make decisions about the province’s real estate.

By streamlining how real estate is managed, the initiative will save taxpayers money, speed up decisions and unlock opportunities to protect and support key priorities such as affordable housing, long-term care and other critical social infrastructure.

Expanding access to legal aid

Many low-income Ontarians were previously excluded from legal aid due to strict financial eligibility thresholds, leaving them without representation and contributing to delays in the justice system.

To address this, Legal Aid Ontario, working with the Ministry of the Attorney General, has temporarily raised income and asset thresholds for duty counsel and criminal certificate services until spring 2028.

The change is expected to reduce the number of self-represented individuals, speed up case resolution and ease the backlog in criminal courts. Also, more low-income Ontarians will have the opportunity to receive advice from duty counsel lawyers in court, increasing access to justice and reducing burden on the justice system by enabling more criminally accused individuals to access duty counsel and certificate legal aid services. Justice sector partners have welcomed the move as a meaningful step toward improving access to justice.

Enhancing FRO Online for better client service

FRO Online, the Family Responsibility Office’s client portal, has been updated with a mobile-responsive design, improved navigation and stronger security through multi-factor authentication. Clients can access case information, submit documents and complete forms anytime, from any device.

Since the update, over 73,000 clients have logged in, submitting more than 20,000 digital forms. User satisfaction is high, with 79 per cent saying they’re likely to keep using the portal and 82 per cent finding it easy to submit requests.

District Social Services Administration Boards – eligibility for Infrastructure Ontario loans

District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) play a key role in delivering health and human services to Northern Ontario communities, including housing, emergency services and more. DSSABs face barriers to financing capital projects affordably and efficiently, making it harder to meet community needs.

To address this, we are proposing to make DSSABs eligible for Infrastructure Ontario loans. This change will give them access to affordable financing tools used by municipalities and other partners, helping to support important local infrastructure.

This expanded eligibility will provide DSSABs with new opportunities to strengthen services, support local priorities and better respond to the needs of northern communities.

Highway 407 toll removal

We are making transportation more affordable by removing tolls from Highway 407 East. Drivers had faced mounting toll charges since 2011, including transponder fees and rising trip rates, leaving some paying thousands of dollars each year just to get to work. Communities and businesses raised concerns that the costs were unsustainable, particularly as families struggled with inflation and higher living expenses.

The permanent removal of tolls on the provincially-owned section of Highway 407 means real relief. Daily commuters can save up to $7,200 a year while enjoying toll-free access along one of Ontario’s key economic corridors. This measure, combined with earlier toll removal on Highways 412 and 418, helps keep goods and people moving and continues to protect Ontario’s economic competitiveness. Together with other cost-savings initiatives, from removing plate renewal fees and stickers to gas tax cuts, these measures have saved individuals and families more than $1.8 billion in the past year alone.

Provincial transit projects

We are addressing gridlock, which costs the province more than $56 billion annually, by investing in faster and more reliable options to move people across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. With the region’s population set to grow by almost 50 per cent in the next 25 years, the demand on roads and transit networks is only increasing.

Ontario is meeting this challenge by building the largest transit expansion in Canadian history. From new subway lines to the Hamilton LRT, these projects will reduce gridlock and connect hundreds of thousands of people to reliable transit. These projects are creating an estimated 16,000 jobs in engineering and skilled trades, helping families and strengthening local economies, while working to protect Ontario’s future by building a transportation system to support long-term economic growth.

GO fare implementation for veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces

We are supporting our veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) by removing GO transit costs.

The transit relief was implemented in March 2025, building on the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024. Veterans and CAF members can now ride GO Transit for free using a Veteran’s Service Card or a Canadian Military Service ID and a PRESTO card.

Between March 1 to June 30, 2025, the program has already recorded

• nearly 31,000 trips on 1,742 active PRESTO cards with the Veterans/CAF concession fare type
• $125,000 in savings for individuals

West Harbour GO Station mainline connection

We are delivering faster service for GO riders by solving a long-standing issue at West Harbour GO Station. For years, the dead-end track forced trains to reverse in and out, a design that wasted time and slowed trips.

As of April 2025, West Harbour GO Station is fully connected to the Lakeshore West line. This means every train travelling to and from Niagara Falls, including off-peak and weekend trips, now stops there. The change saves more than 250,000 commuters in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines about 15 minutes per round trip. The completed construction is part of the government’s plan to deliver faster and more reliable GO Service across the Greater Golden Horseshoe and protect Ontario’s growing communities with stronger transit connections.

Online portal streamlines final reports process

We are making life easier for agri-food businesses and organizations that participate in cost-share programs. For years, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) received hundreds of PDF reports every month. Many were handwritten, difficult to verify and slow to process. Staff had to double-check details, chase corrections and spend days uploading information, leaving applicants waiting longer for payment.

With the new online reporting portal developed with OSCIA, reporting is faster, simpler and more accurate. Clients now submit their information directly into the system, cutting down on errors and ensuring the data is shared quickly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. What once took multiple staff members up to 3 days now takes a single person less than 10 minutes. The result is quicker payments for businesses, fewer administrative headaches and more time for both the ministry and OSCIA to protect Ontario’s agri-food sector while supporting its growth.

Helping Ontario businesses thrive

Faster approvals: improving environmental permissions in Ontario

Ontario’s environmental permitting system has long been seen as slow and complex, with approvals sometimes taking up to 2 years, delaying projects and adding costs for businesses. To make Ontario more competitive, while continuing to protect Ontario’s environment, we are reviewing environmental permissions and shifting more activities to a “registration-first” model, allowing businesses to begin work faster under clear, enforceable rules.

Recent changes have already made a difference: activities supporting housing, infrastructure and transit projects now benefit from faster approvals. Businesses can self-register certain waste systems online, and construction-related water-taking activities can begin immediately after registration, provided safeguards are in place.

These reforms are expected to save over $20 million and eliminate more than 94,000 hours of regulatory burden over the next decade, helping Ontario strike a balance between strong environmental protections and economic growth.

Opening doors: Ontario leads on free trade within Canada

With rising global trade uncertainty and persistent U.S. tariff threats, we are taking bold steps to strengthen internal trade and unlock domestic markets. Internal trade barriers within Canada are estimated to cost the economy up to $200 billion annually, driving up prices for consumers and limiting business growth.

To address this, Ontario passed the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act on June 5, 2025. This legislation advances actions to reduce red tape, enables expansion of labour mobility and promotes mutual recognition of goods, services and certified workers across Canada. We have also removed all its Party-specific exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement to advance internal trade.

These changes will make it easier for Ontario businesses to grow across Canada, allow more professionals to work across interprovincial borders without delays and give consumers greater choice of made-in-Canada goods and services. By enabling savings, increased efficiency and stronger economic resilience, we are setting a national example for reducing regulatory barriers and advancing free trade within Canada.

Digitizing mining land tax and lease transactions in Ontario

Until recently, paying mining land taxes and lease rents in Ontario was a slow, manual process. Patent holders could only pay by cheque, creating a heavy administrative burden for government staff and a time-consuming experience for businesses. 
Processing roughly 5,000 transactions each year required over 1,600 staff hours, multiple bank trips and weeks of preparation, while clients faced delays, postage costs and limited payment options.

To improve the system and help protect Ontario’s resources through more efficient service delivery, we upgraded the online Mining Land Administration System (MLAS) in December 2024. Clients can now pay taxes and lease rents using Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard and credit cards online, quickly and securely. With support from the Ontario Financing Authority, the Ministry of Energy and Mines negotiated a low flat fee of just $1 per transaction, making the system more affordable for government than typical percentage-based fees.

Payments now take minutes instead of days, revenue is deposited within 24 hours and staff workloads have dropped significantly. Businesses benefit from faster, more convenient service, while the government saves time and resources bringing Ontario’s mining payment system firmly into the digital age.

Streamlining planning rules to accelerate housing

Ontario’s land use planning system was previously fragmented and complex, with overlapping policies and varying standards depending on location. Professional homebuilders and others wishing to build often spent significant time and money interpreting which rules applied and defending those interpretations during planning approvals, which slows down housing and infrastructure construction.

To simplify the process and reduce duplication, the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS2024), took effect in October 2024, consolidating the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019. This streamlined framework resulted in a net reduction of 66 regulatory requirements, saving an estimated 6,600 hours and $500,000 over the next 10 years in planning-related costs.

The PPS2024 supports faster home building and encourages complete communities through intensification and increased density to increase the supply and mix of housing options, addressing the full range of housing affordability needs. From student housing to long-term care homes, the PPS2024 helps meet the needs of residents of all ages and abilities, while supporting business growth and protecting Ontario’s future.

Streamlining procurement processes for public infrastructure

We continue to work on refining procurement strategies to help reduce project delays, cut costs and get shovels in the ground more quickly.

This can include breaking large projects into smaller, more manageable contracts, using collaborative delivery models, or, in some cases, accelerating construction with modular builds. These changes are intended to support a broader range of bidders and provide solutions for faster, more flexible delivery.

Expanding and adapting our procurement strategies helps create jobs, strengthens our economy and helps protect Ontario by ensuring critical infrastructure can be delivered faster for a growing population.

Accelerating development of Transit-Oriented Communities

Lengthy development approvals have often slowed down the creation of housing and mixed-use communities near transit, adding costs for builders and delaying benefits for residents. These delays make it harder to deliver new homes, jobs and public spaces in high-demand areas across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

To address this, we have given the Minister of Infrastructure the authority to make zoning orders for transit-oriented communities. This streamlines approvals, creates a one-window approach for builders and helps transit projects and surrounding communities move forward together.

As a result, thousands of new homes, jobs, public spaces and amenities close to transit stations will be delivered faster, reducing red tape, boosting transit ridership and helping to protect Ontario’s long-term economic growth.

Propane purging

We are helping businesses avoid unnecessary costs by allowing specified propane workers with the appropriate skills to complete work on propane tanks necessary for national and provincial safety standard compliance through a Minister's Exemption, which took effect in December 2024.

For years, businesses faced an impossible task as national safety rules require that propane tanks of 2,500 US water gallons or less have their pressure relief valves replaced every 25 years. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) requires industry to replace all overdue valves in Ontario by May 1, 2027. To replace a valve, the tanks must be emptied, but a shortage of certified workers to do this meant the industry was unlikely to meet the national deadline, putting compliance, safety and business operations at risk.

To solve the problem, the government authorized the TSSA to approve more trained workers to empty tanks. This ensures businesses can meet the deadline without lowering safety standards. With this change, the propane industry can stay on schedule and avoid unnecessary costs, saving an estimated $4.6 million each year while helping to protect Ontario’s workers, customers and communities.

A digital space for rural Ontario

We are making it easier for rural communities and businesses to succeed by creating a one-window digital space that will launch in the fall of 2025. Today, local and regional businesses, rural residents, community organizations and rural municipalities must navigate multiple ministry webpages to find programs and services, often wasting hours on simple searches.

The Rural Ontario webpage will change that by providing a trusted one-window digital space to connect rural and Indigenous communities with the resources they need. From funding opportunities to local training and networking events, we will make government easier to navigate and more responsive to rural priorities. By improving searchability, saving time and reducing costs across government, this will help rural Ontario to seize new opportunities, strengthen local economies and protect Ontario’s long-term growth and prosperity across the province.

More options for RV drivers

We are putting drivers first by removing costly and time-consuming licensing requirements for recreational vehicles. In the past, anyone wanting to drive an RV over 11,000 kilograms had to go through the same process as a commercial truck driver, even though RVs are used for personal travel.

Ontario is now better aligned with other Canadian jurisdictions by offering more flexible options. Drivers can now qualify for an RV endorsement with a Class G licence for motorhomes up to 14,000 kilograms. For motorhomes greater than 14,000 kilograms, drivers can now qualify for a Class D RV restricted licence by meeting vision and medical requirements and passing a Class D RV road test. The changes not only save money and time but also make Ontario more welcoming for RV tourism, helping local businesses and communities benefit from a growing industry. Supported by RV associations and stakeholders, this initiative shows Ontario’s commitment to practical solutions that work for people and protect Ontario’s economic competitiveness in the tourism sector.

Towing and Vehicle Storage Safety and Enforcement Act certificate fee increase deferral

We are protecting towing and vehicle storage operators from rising fees by deferring a planned increase.

By pausing the increase, we are helping operators and drivers keep more of their money. For every certificate:

• businesses will save $10
• drivers will save $5

The combined benefit adds up to about $36,000 over the next year. This adjustment supports hard working local businesses and workers.

Expanding support for Ontario’s VQA wines

Ontario’s Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Wine Support Program previously excluded certified wines sold through convenience stores and on-site winery retail locations as well as iconic products like Ontario’s renowned ice wine. This limited support for many local producers and missed opportunities to grow the province’s wine sector.

To strengthen the industry and help protect Ontario’s agricultural heritage and rural economies, we enhanced the VQA Wine Support Program and extended it through 2029–30. The updated program now includes VQA wines sold in convenience stores and on-site wine retail stores, as well as ice wines. These changes expand support to $84 million annually, totalling $420 million over 5 years.

The enhancements will boost competitiveness, support innovation and promote Ontario’s wine regions as tourist destinations. By increasing market access and reducing financial barriers, the initiative supports job creation, attracts investment and helps build a more resilient agri-food economy.

Streamlining forest road funding

The annual agreement process for the Provincial Forest Access Roads Funding Program was time-consuming for forest industry participants.

To reduce this burden and help protect Ontario’s forestry sector by improving efficiency, we moved to a 2-year agreement cycle and removed requirements for identifying eligible roads and submitting invoice authorization forms.

These changes save each of the 39 license holders about a day of administrative work. Industry feedback has been positive, recognizing the improvements as a meaningful time-saver.

Making cannabis retail store transfers easier

Ontario’s growing cannabis retail market has led to market saturation and an increase in store closures and ownership changes. Previously, transferring a retail store to a new owner meant starting the licensing process from scratch, which is costly, time-consuming and inefficient.

In 2024, we amended the Cannabis Licence Act to allow licensed operators to transfer retail store authorizations and inventory to other licensed retailers. This change streamlines business transitions, reduces financial losses and prevents waste.

Since January 1, 2025, 32 store authorizations have been transferred, with 78 applications submitted, showing strong uptake and support for a more efficient, responsive system.

Farm Implements Act

We are removing an outdated requirement that required farm implement dealers and distributors to re-register every year with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.

Registration is now a one-time process instead of the repetitive, duplicative paperwork Annual fees are also gone, saving more than $114,000 each year and over $1 million across the next decade. The amendments also make dealership agreements clearer to protect dealerships from sudden terminations and streamline disputes through the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal. The result is clearer rules, faster resolution of conflicts and real savings for Ontario’s agri-food sector, helping protect our rural economies and ensuring long-term stability for farm businesses across the province.

Streamlining government processes

Transforming writs administration in Ontario

Filing writs in Ontario used to be complex, fragmented and paper-heavy, often taking weeks or even months to process. With 49 court enforcement offices managing separate records, delays were common, and the fragmented system placed a heavy burden on staff.

To fix these inefficiencies and help protect Ontario’s justice system from delays, we launched the Writs Transformation Strategy in 2023 to digitize and improve service delivery. Since then, the initiative has converted over a million pages into digital format, centralized writs administration and expanded access to secure electronic filing systems.

Most paper writs are now processed within 1 to 3 days. High-volume users like the Family Responsibility Office and Ministry of Finance file electronically, cutting turnaround times to under 48 hours. Now staff access records online, and specialized writs work is handled by a small expert team, freeing others to focus on core duties. The shift is part of a broader effort to improve Ontario’s courts and reduce administrative burdens.

Improving cultural media tax credit processing

We are making process and technology improvements to streamline the certification application process that is required for qualifying corporations to claim the Cultural Media Tax Credit. The Cultural Media Tax Credits encourage production in the film, television, interactive digital media and book publishing industries. They play an important role in increasing economic activity and job creation in Ontario, while also enhancing the province’s cultural profile. In 2025–26, we have allocated over $1 billion toward its 5 cultural media tax credits. These creative industries, supported by Ontario Creates,

• contribute more than $3.6 billion to Ontario’s GDP,
• support 44,000 jobs
• export over $2.8 billion in products and services globally.

By reducing processing times for applicants, we will help protect, attract and retain business and production in Ontario and ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the province's cultural media industries.

Streamlining labour relations: Ontario launches first-of-its-kind gateway

Before the launch of the Labour Relations Gateway, clients seeking labour relations services in Ontario faced frequent service outages and delays due to outdated technology. Applying for urgent services like dispute resolution was unreliable, and each application added roughly 1.5 hours of manual processing time for ministry staff, who handle over 3,000 applications annually.

To solve this, we introduced the Labour Relations Gateway, Canada’s first online platform for labour relations services. Launched in phases between September 2023 and November 2024, the Gateway streamlines applications, reduces client touchpoints and automates processes based on direct user input.

The impact has been substantial:

• wait times for conciliation appointments have dropped by over 17 per cent
• client touchpoints are down 70 per cent
• application errors have decreased

Clients now save up to 75 per cent of their time, with estimated annual savings of $415,000. With a 100 per cent score on internal digital assessments and an 85 per cent satisfaction rating, the Gateway is transforming how labour relations services are delivered in Ontario.

Improving Ontario’s forest management system

We continually improve Ontario’s forest management system to reduce burden and streamline outdated processes that have made planning and wood measurement time-consuming and costly. Preparing forest management plans using outdated tools, duplicative documentation and information requirements consumed over 1,600 hours of staff time annually and added significant costs for the forest industry.

To improve the system, we revised 3 key manuals in July 2024:

• Forest Management Planning Manual
• Forest Information Manual
• Scaling Manual

These updates introduced modern spatial analysis tools, streamlined planning and information exchange requirements and improved wood measurement standards. The changes support Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy and were shaped through extensive consultation with forestry practitioners and First Nation and Métis communities across the province.

The forest industry is expected to save approximately $1.18 million annually, with additional savings of $34,000 annually from improvements to scaler licensing. Planning time and costs are reduced by 6 per cent, and Far North communities now have an opportunity to prepare community-based forest management plans. These revisions strengthen regulatory compliance, improve efficiency, enhance competitiveness across Ontario’s forest sector and protect Ontario’s natural resources for generations to come.

Expanding support for abandoned oil and gas wells

Ontario is home to roughly 27,000 oil and gas wells, many of which are located on private properties in southwestern regions. If a well has been inactive for over a year and no operator can be identified, the responsibility to plug it falls to the landowner – a task that can cost upwards of $65,000, and in some cases, exceed $1 million.

To ease this burden and help protect landowners and the environment, we expanded the Abandoned Works Program (AWP), making more landowners eligible for financial assistance.. Through updated eligibility criteria and enhanced outreach materials, the program also helps landowners better understand and manage their responsibilities.

With an additional $6 million invested between 2024 and 2026, the province is accelerating efforts to plug hazardous wells and protect public and environmental safety. Since its launch, the AWP has plugged 440 wells with over $33 million in funding. These efforts are part of Ontario’s broader Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Action Plan, helping build safer, more resilient communities while reducing financial pressure on property owners.

Ontario eliminates propane tax for road vehicles

Until recently, Ontario businesses using propane in licensed road vehicles faced a costly and complex tax system. Despite propane’s declining use in transportation, over 1,000 small and mid-sized businesses, many of which sell propane for heating, cooking and farming, were still burdened by compliance costs and administrative red tape.

As of July 1. 2025, we eliminated the tax on propane used in licensed road vehicles, effective July 1, 2025. This change;

• simplifies tax administration
• saves businesses an estimated $1.9 million annually
• educes compliance time by an average of 211 hours per registered client
• brings greater fairness to how propane is treated compared to other fuels

The initiative supports Ontario’s commitment to updating tax systems and improving the business climate. Welcomed by the propane industry, this move helps small businesses thrive while streamlining government processes, reducing unnecessary costs and helping to protect Ontario’s competitiveness.

Digitizing property assessment notices in Ontario

Previously, property owners in Ontario could only receive their Municipal Property Assessment Notices by mail, limiting convenience and access to important tax information. Viewing assessment roll data also required in-person visits to municipal offices, adding time and effort for both residents and municipalities.

To improve access and reduce administrative burden, the government announced in the 2025 Ontario Budget that starting in 2026, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) will begin delivering assessment notices electronically. Work is also underway to provide centralized online access to assessment roll information.

This initiative makes life easier for property owners and municipalities by improving service delivery, enhancing transparency and streamlining how Ontarians access property assessment data.

Cutting costs: eliminating Environmental Activity and Sector Registry fees for Ontario businesses

Businesses across Ontario previously had to pay registration fees to list their activities on the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) – a cost that added up to approximately $2.6 million annually across sectors like construction, transit, manufacturing, solar power and waste transportation.

To reduce this financial burden, we introduced legislative changes to eliminate EASR registration fees. This move supports businesses during economic uncertainty and simplifies compliance for regulated proponents.

The result is a direct annual savings of $2.6 million for Ontario businesses, helping them reinvest in operations and growth, while continuing to meet environmental requirements and protect Ontario’s economic competitiveness.

Tracking our progress

Regulatory compliance requirements by ministry

Table excludes ministries that do not have any regulatory requirements.

Reducing regulatory compliance costs

Over the past 7 years, we have reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario. Since June 29, 2018, we have eliminated over $1.2 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. Even with the introduction of new compliance costs introduced since June 2018, regulated entities are saving an estimated $1.2 billion per year.