Memorandum of Understanding Between: The Government of Ontario And The Government of Saskatchewan (hereinafter jointly referred to as “the Parties”)

Whereas the Canadian economy is currently subject to economic and geopolitical uncertainty, including various tariffs and tariff threats by the United States on Canadian products, which threaten Canadian workers and businesses;

And whereas the Parties are committed to significantly expanding the ability of workers and businesses within their respective jurisdictions to take advantage of commercial opportunities across Canada, and in doing so strengthen Canada’s economy;

And whereas the Parties trust federal, provincial and territorial regulatory bodies to make sound decisions that put the safety of Canadians first;

And whereas the Parties are demonstrating leadership by introducing enabling legislation aimed at leveraging mutual recognition to significantly reduce barriers to trade with other provinces and territories;

And whereas Saskatchewan and Ontario have been leaders in labour mobility, including through Ontario’s “As of Right” model and Saskatchewan’s Labour Mobility and Fair Registration Practices Act;

And whereas Ontario has demonstrated leadership on internal trade with respect to the removal of all its Party-specific Exceptions (PSEs) under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), supporting opportunities for trade and investment;

And whereas Saskatchewan has consistently demonstrated leadership on internal trade with respect to the removal of PSEs under the CFTA, easing regulatory burdens and supporting the mobility of goods and people and is continuing to further open opportunities for trade and investment;

And whereas Ontario and Saskatchewan are co-leading work under the CFTA to develop a framework for willing jurisdictions to implement a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales system for alcohol.

Through this Memorandum of Understanding, the Parties agree to:

  1. Build on their respective enabling legislation to remove internal trade barriers between them, so as to boost the flow of goods, services, investment, and workers, while maintaining and strengthening levels of public safety and respecting the integrity and role of Crown corporations within certain provincial industries. Through Ontario’s bill entitled Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act and Saskatchewan’s Labour Mobility and Fair Registration Practices Act, and forthcoming Saskatchewan legislation, the Parties will strive to ensure that a good or equivalent service or registered worker that is deemed acceptable for sale, use or work in Ontario, is deemed acceptable for sale, use or work in Saskatchewan — and vice versa.
  2. Encourage other Canadian jurisdictions that have not already done so to join Saskatchewan and Ontario in driving progress on internal trade by tabling their own legislation to remove barriers to trade across Canada, including through mutual recognition.
  3. Further facilitate interprovincial labour mobility by working together to identify options to align regulated occupations and registration.
  4. Ontario does not maintain any PSEs under the CFTA. Saskatchewan will work towards the non-application of PSEs under the CFTA with respect to Ontario.
  5. Work together on a bilateral framework for a direct-to-consumer (DTC) system, as well as with all other interested Canadian jurisdictions to establish a pan-Canadian framework for DTC access to alcoholic beverages, so that producers have easier access to market opportunities across the country, and so that consumers across Canada have greater choice and access to a broader selection of alcoholic beverages.
  6. This Memorandum of Understanding sets out the understanding of the Parties with respect to their cooperation but is not legally binding and does not create any legal, equitable or financial rights, obligations or liabilities for either of the Parties.

Signed on the 1st day of June in the year 2025 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Premier Doug Ford, Government of Ontario

Premier Scott Moe, Government of Saskatchewan