Published plans and annual reports 2023-2024: Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery

Ministry overview

The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery delivers vital programs, services, and products to the people and businesses of Ontario, as well as to ministries across the Ontario Public Service (OPS), provincial agencies, and the Broader Public Sector (BPS). Services are managed and delivered through the ministry’s business lines:

• Enterprise Information, Privacy, Archives and Digital Delivery Program
• Enterprise Business and Financial Services
• ServiceOntario
• Consumer Services
• Government Services Integration Cluster, and
• Enterprise Information Technology Services

Ministry’s vision

Our vision is to deliver simpler, faster, better services for the people and businesses of Ontario and to drive meaningful change across the enterprise that improves program outcomes and protects critical services.​

The ministry delivers vital public programs, services, and products — ranging from the provision of health cards, driver’s licences, and birth certificates to consumer protection and public safety — to help individuals, families, and businesses. The ministry is delivering on its vision through its diverse range of portfolios:

• Making it faster, easier, and more convenient for people and businesses to access services including birth, adoption, marriage, death, organ donation, health cards, driver’s licences, vehicle registration, personal property, Ontario Photo Cards, accessible parking permits, outdoors and occupational licensing as well as land and business registration.
• Enhancing consumer protection and public safety legislative frameworks, providing advice and assistance to consumers, supporting business compliance through effective outreach and education, taking risk-based and proportionate compliance and enforcement action where necessary against non-compliant businesses, and creating a prosperous business climate by updating and simplifying business laws.
• Providing stewardship of Ontario’s information and documentary heritage, managing public requests for information, enhancing privacy protection, access to information, and recordkeeping legislative frameworks.

Enterprise-wide, we deliver internal infrastructure and support to more than 67,000 employees by:

• Running, operating, and modernizing the OPS’ information technology assets and resources, while enabling digital service delivery for Ontarians and Ontario businesses.​ This includes managing the government’s investment in Information and Information Technology (I&IT), fostering consistency in service management, ensuring security of systems and data, and providing strategic advice and leadership on the effective use of I&IT.
• Delivering a range of enterprise services including financial processing, transfer payment administration, risk management and insurance, and a wide variety of other enterprise business services.

Ministry programs

Enterprise Information, Privacy, Archives and Digital Delivery

The Enterprise Information, Privacy, Archives and Digital Delivery Program is responsible for making it easier for the people and businesses of Ontario to access government information, data, and services in the digital age.

The program delivers timely and responsive data and digital policies; provides enterprise leadership in recordkeeping, access to information and privacy; builds user centered digital products; and promotes the preservation and access to archival records. This includes overseeing the Archives of Ontario, the largest provincial archives in Canada. The program helps to transform internal processes, set new standards, deliver digital services, and equip the OPS to use internet-era methods.  

Enterprise Business and Financial Services

Enterprise Business and Financial Services provides services to Ontario government ministries, OPS employees, agencies, external transfer payment partners, BPS entities, and the public. The program delivers core internal business functions including whole-of-government financial processing, transfer payment administration, risk management and insurance, and a wide variety of other enterprise business services.

ServiceOntario

ServiceOntario provides people and businesses with seamless, accessible, and consistent access to government products and services, online, in person or on the phone. ServiceOntario delivers services on behalf of all Ontario ministries and works with partners to ensure user-centric service delivery. ServiceOntario is focused on customer service excellence and delivering services that are simpler, faster, better and designed and built for Ontario’s people and businesses.

ServiceOntario puts people at the centre of everything it does, delivering a consistent and inclusive customer experience. ServiceOntario delivers user-centred and secure digital-first access to more than 55 services while continuing to guarantee a strong community presence with service centres across Ontario. Enhanced customer and business services, with updated back-office supports including modernized platforms and online help, ensure a superior customer experience. Offering services online, by phone, and in-person ensures inclusivity and choice for all Ontarians.

Consumer Services

Consumer Services delivers the policies, programs, and services that respond to the needs of the people and businesses of Ontario. As a modern regulator, Consumer Services implements policy on a wide range of consumer and public safety issues and supports business law modernization in Ontario. Through its role in overseeing 12 administrative authorities, the ministry plays a critical role in consumer protection and public safety across a diverse range of sectors. The ministry plays an important role in informing consumers about their rights and protections under its various consumer protection and public safety statutes and regulations, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. The ministry is a recognized, trusted, and knowledgeable resource of information and essential tools for consumers and businesses.

Direct services to the public include educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities, mediating consumer complaints, protecting consumers’ interests through proportionate and risk-based compliance tools, and taking appropriate enforcement action against non-compliant businesses.

Consumer Services continues to provide services to the public through its Consumer Protection Ontario contact centre, outreach and education services, compliance, and enforcement work, to support legislative and regulatory changes in respect of consumer protection statutes.

The ministry regulates and licenses businesses in several sectors, including payday loans, bailiffs, collection agencies, and consumer reporting agencies.

The ministry also administers the cemetery closures, cemetery abandonment, war graves, and burial sites provisions of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002. The burial sites provisions set out a process for ensuring that human remains found outside cemeteries, including those of Indigenous peoples, are treated with dignity and respect. The ministry is bringing its expertise in this area to support the development and implementation of the government’s strategy to work with Indigenous communities in respect of unidentified burials associated with the former Indian Residential Schools.

Government Services Integration Cluster

The Government Services Integration Cluster provides strategic advice and cost-effective technology solutions for the Ministries of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Seniors and Accessibility, Public and Business Service Delivery, Red Tape Reduction, Infrastructure, and Francophone Affairs. It delivers the information technology necessary for its partner ministries and agencies to operate, modernize, and transform the delivery of services to the public, businesses, and employees.

The cluster also has accountability for the following mandatory common central services:

• Engagement Platform which (previously called Enterprise Contact Centre Service) enables over 40 programs and connects up to 25 million interactions annually, connecting people and businesses with their government.
• Workforce Information Network (WIN) which enables processing of annual payroll and direct pay deposits for more than 67,000 OPS employees.
• Financial enterprise resource planning application such as Integrated Financial Information System (IFIS) that supports approximately 46,000 OPS users across the government.

Enterprise Information Technology Services Program

The Enterprise Information Technology Services Program provides strategic leadership in the use of I&IT to modernize Ontario’s public services and meet the changing needs of Ontarians and the OPS, its agencies, and the BPS. The program is responsible for developing plans that focus on evolving IT capabilities to transform public service delivery, providing user-centred digital solutions, and creating positive outcomes for Ontario. This includes an enterprise technology roadmap to realize the benefits of strategically managed technology, products, and services, as well as coordinate technology investments across ministries. 

The program ensures the ongoing integrity and availability of systems and data, the implementation of common infrastructure, governance and accountability, the development and maintenance of OPS IT operating policies, technical standards, and guidelines and delivery of OPS-wide common services such as hosting services, service management, 24/7/365 Cyber Security Operations Centre, and network capabilities.

2023–24 Strategic Plan

The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery is focused on improving government services to the public, supporting businesses, and making government function efficiently. The ministry is taking a customer-focused approach to build simpler, faster, better access to services, saving Ontarians and businesses time and money.

Ministry Primary Goals

Service Delivery Excellence: Driving operational excellence and continuous improvement in service delivery and transforming and streamlining delivery models across government.

• Continue to make services easier and more equitable for individuals and businesses by simplifying instructions, applying user-experience design principles to make services more intuitive and improving usability, marketplace trends, and accessibility.
• Continue to offer businesses and not-for-profit corporations direct access to government services with digital self-service access to more than 90 services, 24 hours a day.
• Ensure Ontario remains a leader in the transfer payment digital space and continues to improve the user experience by:
  • Innovating the Transfer Payment Ontario system to enable a simpler and faster experience for service delivery partners;
  • Integrating an account authentication process to ensure a higher level of security when the public is accessing the system; and
  • Moving the system infrastructure to a cloud-based platform to enhance the system performance, as well as administrative controls, and ensure faster recovery time in the event of a system outage.
• Continue a multi-year awareness and education strategy, Business Education Support Tools, that will provide businesses with access to 24/7 online tools at no cost and help consumers to better understand and more easily comply with consumer protection laws. Improved business compliance will also benefit consumers and help to create a fairer marketplace.
• Continue to implement the enterprise technology roadmap to accelerate government programs, service modernization, and transformation.
• Continue to adapt to trends in the marketplace to provide quality services and ensure consistent materials are available through all channels, such as the interactive voice response, website, and internal knowledge articles to support the customer experience and delivery of government services.
• Continue to work with ministry partners to deliver client centric services through the development and design services of new digital webforms and PDF forms that support access to OPS services.
• Work with partner ministries to help solve acute data challenges in priority sectors for government. This includes the Data Standards for Planning and Development Applications work which, in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, is standardizing data collection to help bring housing to market faster. 
• Continue focusing on maximizing the value and use of government information while ensuring Ontarians benefit from best-in-class recordkeeping, access to information, and privacy protections.

Digital Transformation: Transforming service delivery through a digital first — but not digital only — approach to lower costs and deliver simpler, faster, and better services for the people and businesses of Ontario.

• Continue to enhance digital services by piloting innovative solutions, such as the introduction of a video appointments for ServiceOntario renewals.
• Continue to make it easier, faster, and more convenient to buy a car now that more automobile dealers can register vehicles online and issue permits and licence plates directly to purchasers.
• Enable a modern digital workplace by driving OPS-wide adoption of new productivity, communication, and collaboration tools.
• Ensure government projects that involve creating or improving a digital service meet Ontario’s Digital Service Standard throughout their development, through user research and Digital First Assessments. 
• Implement strategies to lay the foundation for a cloud-based future, with a target to have approximately 50 per cent of government applications (workloads and data) hosted in the cloud by March 2024. This approach will allow for increased focus on value-added activities that are core to government operations and will also result in:
  • Reducing legacy technology, ensuring availability of mission and business critical applications;
  • Enabling innovation in the way ministries deliver services; and
  • Quick deployment of platforms and the ability to add capacity when demand for applications surges.
• Partner with ministries to explore opportunities to address accessible, affordable broadband services for underserved and vulnerable populations.
• Continue to implement a modernized voice services strategy for unified communication and collaboration that will replace end-of-life telephone systems with modern technology.
• Continue to enable the public, BPS entities and the OPS to access more government services online through a single, secure, easy-to-use login that is part of Ontario’s Cyber Security Strategy to keep personal information safe and secure.
• Enable the adoption of digital practices to advance digital maturity across government while providing better services for Ontarians, unlocking high-value data to increase innovation and economic growth. These efforts include: 
  • Developing a strategy and action plan that enables greater cross-government collaboration in IT service and operations;
  • Advancing digital policies and practices, including IT and digital governance, data, capacity building and measurement; and 
  • Build user-centered products and platforms that accelerate the government’s technology and service modernization, such as Notify, to send email, text message, or phone call reminders to renew license plate stickers, driver’s licenses, or health cards. 

Driving Efficiencies: Making critical services and back-office functions more efficient.

• Deliver critical services efficiently, including transfer payment administration, financial processing, and other enterprise business services.
• Continue to enable government-wide transfer payment modernization, including the centralization of transfer payment administration onto one digital platform and ensuring a consolidated source of transfer payment data for evidence-based decision making.
• Expanded renewal reminders for driver’s licence, licence plate, health card, and Ontario Photo Card renewals — allowing customers to receive reminders for renewals by email, text, and phone 60 and 30 days prior to expiry, and 30 days post-expiry.
• Implement improvements at ServiceOntario locations for quicker service and to reduce wait times.
• Continue to serve the businesses of Ontario quickly. The average call wait time for the Ontario Business Registry was reduced from 16 minutes at launch to only three seconds. 

Supporting Businesses: Simplifying Ontario’s regulatory framework and reducing the administrative burden on businesses to make it easier to engage with the Government of Ontario.

• The ministry is continuing to undertake a comprehensive review of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 and is examining how to update the Act to strengthen protection for consumers, adapt to changing technology and marketplace innovations, and streamline and clarify requirements to improve consumer and business understanding and compliance.
• Continue to demonstrate action and strengthen consumer protection by overhauling Ontario’s new home warranty program and building on the implementation of Ontario’s regulator of new home builders, the Home Construction Regulatory Authority. In addition, the ministry continues to support the Housing Supply Action Plan, developing strategies to support the goal of building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.
• Reduce burden on business to improve Ontario’s competitive advantage and continue to support the government’s commitment to improve the province’s business law framework to meet the changing needs of business. The ministry led several amendments to modernize its business law statutes and is actively exploring key business law improvements, including, but not limited to, amendments to eight corporate and commercial statutes to enhance virtual processes.
• Continue to evolve to the Ontario Business Registry by adopting new digital practices and technologies that will enable Ontarians to complete registrations or filings instantly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. These registrations and filings were previously submitted by mail or fax, taking four to six weeks to complete.

People and Culture: Ensuring and improving equitable access to services for all Ontarians, while also strengthening technical skills development and historical preservation within the OPS.

• Reduce and remove complexity and cost in obtaining documents and services for all Ontarians regardless of socio-demographic status.
• Modernize technical training and lead the OPS, and support the BPS, in information management and collecting, preserving, and sharing records of provincial and historical significance.

Key Performance Indicators

The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery has several key performance indicators that it uses to measure ministry priorities, such as customer satisfaction rates and service standards/guarantees met or exceeded. Monitoring customer satisfaction rates helps determine the level of customer satisfaction with the services we provide, while meeting or exceeding service standards/guarantees tells us whether we are meeting our commitment to clients in a timely manner.

Ministry

Customer satisfaction levels are currently measured for programs in Enterprise Information Technology Services, Enterprise Business and Financial Services, and ServiceOntario.

Service standards/guarantees are measured for programs in Enterprise Information Technology Services; Enterprise Information, Privacy, Archives, and Digital Delivery Program; Enterprise Business and Financial Services; and ServiceOntario.

Ministry results are an aggregation of program area results, some of which are highlighted in the following table:

Enterprise Information, Privacy, Archives and Digital Delivery Program

Enterprise Business and Financial Services

ServiceOntario

Key ServiceOntario service standards measure the percentage of transactions delivered within established timeframes and the effectiveness of service delivery processes, including seven services with money-back guarantees. ServiceOntario met or exceeded most of its service standards in 2022–23. The table below shows the total number of services with a standard and what per cent of those services achieved its target.

Note: Data reported as at Q3 fiscal year 2022–23. Categories listed in this table include multiple lines of business provided by ServiceOntario and exclude the Ontario Business Registry). The Ontario Business Registry is a new system and the ministry is establishing new baselines and targets for future reporting.

ServiceOntario offers seven money-back service guarantees: online birth, marriage, and death certificates; premium online birth, marriage, and death certificates; and online personalized licence plate orders.

ServiceOntario’s money-back service guarantees were met on average, 99.8 per cent of the time between April 2020 and December 2022 (refer to Figure 1). The goal for 2023–24 is to maintain a service standard achievement rate above 99 per cent through strict process controls and continuous improvement. 

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Detailed Financial Information

Table 1: Ministry Planned Expenditures 2023–24 ($M)

Note: Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Table 2: Combined Operating and Capital Summary by Vote

For additional financial information, see:

• Expenditure Estimates
• Public Accounts of Ontario: past editions
• Ontario Budget: past editons

Administrative authorities

The ministry oversees 12 administrative authorities that are governed by several pieces of legislation; they are self-funded through the fees they charge their respective sectors. The Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996, provides a framework for the delegation of the administration of legislation with respect to condominium management, electrical safety; regulation of motor vehicle dealers and salespersons; travel sales by travel agents and wholesalers; regulation of bereavement services (i.e., funeral, cemetery, crematorium, and transfer services); as well as the regulation of real estate salespersons, brokers, and brokerages.

There are also individual statutes that apply an administrative authority’s oversight framework to technical safety standards, safe evacuation practices, new home warranties, new home builder licensing, the condominium sector, and appellations of Ontario-made wine.

These individual statutes and the Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996, establish the accountability and governance framework that applies between the ministry and the not-for-profit corporations that administer legislation in specific consumer protection or public safety areas.

The ministry monitors administrative authorities’ service delivery and is responsible for the legislation and regulations. The administrative authorities typically deliver services such as licensing, inspections, education, complaint handling, and enforcement. As part of the Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020 which was passed in July 2020, the ministry made improvements to the governance frameworks of the administrative authorities and created consistency between the individual statutes and the Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996. The ministry has continued to implement and proclaim remaining sections of the Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020.

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario administers most provisions under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002. The Bereavement Authority of Ontario is responsible for licensing and regulating (e.g., conducting inspections and investigations) operators of cemeteries, crematoriums, and transfer services; salespersons for those operators; funeral directors; funeral establishment operators; and funeral preplanners. The Bereavement Authority of Ontario is also responsible for the management of a Funeral Services Compensation Fund that compensates persons who suffer a financial loss due to a failure on the part of certain licensees under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002, to comply with that act, its regulations, or the terms of an agreement made under that Act.

The Condominium Authority of Ontario is responsible for administering delegated provisions under the Condominium Act, 1998. The Condominium Authority of Ontario provides easy-to-use information to help owners and residents understand their rights and responsibilities, mandatory training for condominium (condo) directors, resources to help condo owners and residents resolve common issues associated with condo living, and a public database of key information about every condominium in Ontario. In addition, the Condominium Authority of Ontario oversees and operates the Condominium Authority Tribunal, a unique online dispute resolution system that helps to resolve prescribed disputes under the Condominium Act, 1998.

The Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario administers the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015. This includes administering licensing for all condo managers and condo management providers, establishing and delivering the required education program for condo managers, maintaining a list of all licences in the province, dealing with complaints, administering the discipline committee and appeals committee, and enforcement.

The Electrical Safety Authority is responsible for administering Part VIII of the Electricity Act, 1998, enforcing the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the licensing of electrical contractors and master electricians, overseeing electrical distribution system safety, and electrical product safety.

The Home Construction Regulatory Authority is responsible for the mandatory licensing and regulation of new home builders and vendors under the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017. It also maintains the Ontario Builder Directory, which provides consumers with information about licensed new home builders and vendors. In addition, it holds new home builders and vendors to account for violations of the Code of Ethics.

Ontario One Call (also known as One Call) administers the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012. The Act requires owners of underground infrastructure to be members of One Call and to respond to requests for the location of the infrastructure from excavators and homeowners. One Call operates a locate request routing service and enforces compliance by its members, which include gas, electrical, and telecommunications utilities, as well as municipalities.

The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council administers the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, and the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund — a fund for consumers who have lost money involving a registered motor vehicle dealer. The council registers motor vehicle dealers and salespersons and conducts inspections and investigations to ensure compliance with the Act.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario administers the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002, which regulates the conduct of real estate and business brokerages, brokers, and salespersons. The Real Estate Council of Ontario registers salespersons, brokers, and brokerages; enforces standards to obtain/maintain registration; requires brokers and salespersons to meet educational standards; conducts inspections of brokerage offices to ensure compliance with the act; investigates complaints; and carries out enforcement action with respect to violations of the Act.

The Tarion Warranty Corporation administers the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, which ensures builders and vendors provides warranties and protections to new home buyers and owners. Tarion enrols new homes for warranty coverage; resolves warranty disputes between builders/vendors and homeowners; maintains a Guarantee Fund that provides for the payment of compensation under the plan; informs and educates new home builders; and through research programs, promotes the construction of properly built homes in Ontario.

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority administers the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000. This includes enforcement of public safety laws in industry sectors such as amusement devices, elevating devices, ski lifts, fuels, boilers and pressure vessels, and operating engineers.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario administers the Travel Industry Act, 2002. It registers travel agents and travel wholesalers, monitors their financial performance to identify financial risk, inspects their operations to ensure compliance with the act, and manages Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund. Customers with eligible claims for travel services paid to or through a registered travel agent, but not provided, may be reimbursed from the fund up to certain amounts.

The Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario (operating as the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority) is responsible for administering an appellation of origin system governing the production and quality standards of Ontario wines under the Vintners Quality Alliance label in accordance with the Vintners Quality Alliance Act, 1999.

Ministry organization chart

• Minister of Government and Consumer Services — Hon. Kaleed Rasheed
  • Deputy Minister of Government and Consumer Services — Renu Kulendran
    • Director: Legal (1*) — Fateh Salim
    • Director: Communications (2*) — Jennifer Proulx
    • Director: Operations — Caitlyn Tindale (A)
    • CPO and Archivist of Ontario Information, Privacy and Archives — John Roberts
      • ADM Products and Technology — Vacant
      • ADM Information, Privacy and Archives — Jacqueline Spencer (A)
      • ADM Digital — Michael Maddock
    • Corporate CIO and Government Information Technology — Mohammad Qureshi
      • CIO Infrastructure Technology Services — Mike Amato (A)
      • Chief Information Security Officer Cyber Security — Rhonda Bunn
      • Chief Technology Officer Enterprise Technology Strategy — John van den Hoven (A)
    • ADM Enterprise Business Services Division — Flolet Loney-Burnett
    • ADM Enterprise Financial Services — Noah Morris
    • ADM Supply Chain Ontario — Jackie Korecki (A)
    • CIO, Government Service Integration Cluster (GSIC) — Manish Agarwal
    • CAO and ADM Corporate Services — Shawn Lawson
    • ADM Consumer Services Operations — Barbara Duckitt
    • ADM Policy Planning and Oversight — Michèle Sanborn
    • ADM ServiceOntario — Dafna Carr
      • ADM Operational Support — Joanne Anderson
      • ADM Customer Care — Nelson Loureiro (A)
      • ADM Central Services — Beverly Thomas-Barnes (A)

Acts Administered by the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery

• Alternative Filing Methods for Business Act, 2020, S.O. 2020, c. 7, Sched. 1
• Apportionment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.23
• Archives and Recordkeeping Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 3S.O.4, Sched. A
• Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 3
• Assignments and Preferences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.33
• At Your Service Act, 2022, S.O. 2022,  2, Sched. 1
• Bailiffs Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.2
• Boundaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.10
• Business Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16
• Business Names Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.17
• Business Regulation Reform Act, 1994, S.O. 1994, c. 32
• Change of Name Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.7
• Co-operative Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.35
• Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.14
• Condominium Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 19
• Condominium Management Services Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 28, Sched. 2
• Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. A
• Consumer Reporting Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.33
• Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.38
• Corporations Information Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.39
• Discriminatory Business Practices Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. D.12
• Electricity Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 15, Sched. A, in respect of Parts VIII and IX.1
• Electronic Land Registration Services Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 1, Sched. 6
• Electronic Registration Act (Ministry of Consumer and Business Services Statutes), 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 44
• Extra-Provincial Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.27
• Factors Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.1
• Film Content Information Act, 2020
• Financial Administration Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.12, in respect of section 1.0.19 and clause 38 (1) (a.3)
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31
• Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 33
• Government Services and Service Providers Act (ServiceOntario), 2012, S.O. 2012, c. 8, Sched. 21 (not yet in force)
• Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, in respect of Part III
• Home Inspection Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 5, Sched. 1 (not yet in force)
• Horse Riding Safety Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 4
• Land Registration Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.4
• Land Titles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.5
• Limited Partnerships Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.16
• Marriage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3
• Ministry of Consumer and Business Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.21
• Ministry of Government Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.25, except in respect of services provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat
• Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.M.41
• Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. B
• Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56
• New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 1 (not yet in force)
• Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 15 (not yet in force)
• Ontario Gazette Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.3
• Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.31
• Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, S.O. 2012, c. 4
• Partnerships Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.5
• Payday Loans Act, 2008, S.O. 2008, c. 9
• Personal Property Security Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.10
• Protection for Owners and Purchasers of New Homes Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 2 (not in force)
• Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. C
• Registry Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.20
• Repair and Storage Liens Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.25
• Retail Business Holidays Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.30
• Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c. 19
• Securities Transfer Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 8
• Simpler, Faster, Better Services Act, 2019, S.O. 2019, c. 7, Sched. 56
• Supporting Local Restaurants Act, 2020, S.O. 2020, c. 31 only in respect of Parts III, IV and V of the Act
• Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 16
• Ticket Sales Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 3
• Travel Industry Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. D
• Vintners Quality Alliance Act, 1999, S.O. 1999, c. 3
• Vital Statistics Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. V.4

2022–23 Annual Report

Highlights of 2022–23 Results

The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery is transforming services to put people at the centre of everything we do.

Some of the ministry’s achievements include:

Service Delivery Excellence

• Delivered more than 50 million ServiceOntario interactions (including referrals, information, and transactions) through its network of centres, online, by phone, and mail. ServiceOntario launched an enhanced appointment booking system for 64 of its busiest ServiceOntario centres, allowing customers requiring in-person visits to book multiple services in a single appointment on their smartphone or computer, or book a single appointment for the whole family. Ontarians also have the option to identify accessibility needs ahead of the appointment so that services can be provided to meet their individual needs efficiently and effectively.
• ServiceOntario utilized lean and technical improvements to support:
  • Launching a contact centre for the Ontario Autism Program in only 16 days, resulting in parents receiving immediate access to in-person program assistance.
  • Piloting video appointments for Health Card renewals for those with medical exemptions and seniors over 80. Verifying ID over video saves a trip to a service centre – ensuring eligible Ontarians can renew from the comfort of home.
  • Making it quicker and easier for couples to apply for a marriage licence with a new online portal that enables licence applications to be submitted and processed electronically by municipalities.
• ServiceOntario launched the first Indigenous-led ServiceOntario Service Centre with North Shore Tribal Council. ServiceOntario partnered with Mamaweswen, the North Shore Tribal Council and Serpent River First Nation to deliver services to Indigenous People in the Robinson-Huron Treaty Area and to local community residents. This pilot is helping to close service gaps and better support underserved communities.
• Continued to champion the Trillium Gift of Life program by adding more than 119,000 new organ donor registrations to the Organ Donor Registry for the reporting year of 2022.
• In partnership with the Ministry of Transportation, ServiceOntario eliminated licence plate fees and stickers for nearly 8 million owners of passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles, and mopeds, which included printing and distributing more than 7.4 million refund cheques.
• Collaborated with the Ministry of Education to distribute over $272 million, via the Ontario Catch Up Payment program, to bridge student learning gaps that may have emerged because of COVID‑19. Over 96 per cent of recipients were paid through the Interac e-transfer or electronic fund transfer.
• Supported consumers through mediation efforts, assisting in resolving complaints, conducting inspections, and taking appropriate enforcement action. Between January 1 and December 31, 2022, the ministry received 26,129 consumer complaints, incidents, and inquiries;
  • Negotiated $845,246 in resolution amounts for consumers;
  • Conducted over 260 inspections, focusing on the sectors that posed risks to consumers including payday loans, collection agencies, auto repair, moving and storage, home construction, maintenance, and renovations;
  • Laid 218 charges under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 and other enforced legislation; and
  • Obtained 38 convictions resulting in $284,625 of fines levied by the courts and $99,068 in restitution.
• Continued to provide integrated services and advice to ministries, agencies, the BPS, and the public to ensure that recordkeeping, access to information, and protection of privacy activities are integrated and effective. This includes coordination and management of inquiries from Members of Provincial Parliament, institutions, and municipalities. In addition, this includes public inquiries on access, privacy, and application of legislation, such as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990 and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990.
• The Cyber Security Centre of Excellence continued to support ministries and BPS service delivery partners improve digital resilience with education, awareness activities, cyber threat knowledge, and intelligence sharing. This includes:
  • Support through the Cyber Security Operations Centre, the government’s first line of defense in the protection of information and infrastructure assets of the citizens of Ontario, which supported 15 BPS Cyber incident engagements in 2022–23.
  • Conducting multiple training sessions, which included a tabletop exercise for senior leadership in Emergency Management Ontario, and the first hybrid BPS Cyber Security conference with over 1,000 registrants.
• Received Tier IV Gold Certification for Operational Sustainability from the Uptime Institute, the highest level of operational sustainability that can be awarded, for the Guelph Data Centre—one of only 19 data centres in the world have been awarded this certification (out of 1,661 data centres in 112 countries).
• Continued to manage the second-largest private data network and voice service implementation in Canada (second only to the Canadian Federal Government).
• Supported more than 6.4 million calls to Ontario's Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (as of February 2023).

Digital Transformation

• Implemented simpler, more convenient digital options for customers to interact with ServiceOntario:
  • Ensured convenience for Ontarians by offering 59 services online 24/7, enabling customers to skip the lines by renewing their documents using ServiceOntario’s easy-to-use and secure online services, from their home.
  • The additional functionality added to the ServiceOntario Accessible Parking Permit (APP) online channel now allows approximately 850,000 Ontarians — including organizations and not-for-profits supporting disabled Ontarians — the ability to complete their application or renewal transaction digitally anytime, anywhere.
  • Launched a new electronic service so death information can be submitted by registered stakeholders online and families can get the documents they need to settle loved ones’ estates more quickly.
• In partnership with the Ministry of Transportation, launched a new online service enabling operators of farm plated vehicles, buses/school buses, and heavy commercial vehicles over 3,000 kg to renew their licence plates online. Customers can complete these transactions conveniently from their home or office, saving time and money.
• Holders of Ontario Photo Cards, driver's licences and/or green photo health cards can now sign up for free reminders by email, text, or phone call 60 and 30 days before it is time to renew, providing a convenient way to get notified when the photo cards are set to expire.
• Launched video appointments for Health Card renewals to make government services more accessible by enabling Ontarians to virtually renew their health cards when they cannot renew in-person or online.
• Developed the Governance and Management of Information and Data Assets Directive, to maximize the value and use of government information by ensuring that it is managed as a strategic enterprise asset. This complements the renewed Information and Information Technology Directive and a companion Digital and Data Directive.
• Continued to expand on a digitally focused Recordkeeping, Access and Privacy program through issuance of a new corporate policy and supporting guidance.
• Further-embedded Recordkeeping, Access and Privacy into enterprise functions such as IT Governance and Risk Management to help ministries assess data and privacy practices consistently within each ministry.
• Established an Enterprise Data Management Framework and Stewardship initiative to coordinate data practices across ministries enabling service transformation, user experience improvements, further advancing data-driven decision making, and improved service efficiency.
• The Archives of Ontario successfully launched version 1.0 of the new Archives and Information Management System (AIMS) to manage and provide access to its archival, library, and art collections. For the first time ever, customers can create an account, conduct an integrated search of the catalog, order records, and self-manage their client profile using one online tool.
• Introduced Artificial Intelligence into all eLearning courses and support resources for the Integrated Financial Information System (IFIS), hosted on LearnON, including providing learners with immediate access to all Quick Reference Cards from within the training modules and providing real-time responses to commonly asked financial management questions. This technology is available to staff to support accurate financial management transactions and reporting, in every ministry across the OPS, any day or time.
• Modernizing data centre operations by migrating ministry and agency solutions from the Kingston Data Centre to a single hosting environment with one data centre, supplemented by cloud. Currently, the ministry securely hosts approximately 1,200 government applications, with 367 (about 30 per cent) hosted in the cloud (as of Q3 2022–23).
• Developed and launched the Ontario Long-Term Care Home finder, a new website that provides an easier, more convenient way for prospective residents and their families to search and compare long-term care homes.
• Launched the start-a-business-tool, which makes it easier for Ontarians to register a business and apply for funding and tax credits.
• Continued work on the province’s Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Framework and prepared for consultations on the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Directive.
• Maintained Ontario’s Open Data Catalogue, which houses thousands of datasets. In 2022, data files were downloaded or previewed 1.1 million times.
• Supported a series of high-impact digital tools that made a concrete difference in helping Ontarians navigate the pandemic:
  • Continuously update Ontario’s vaccine eligibility screener to align with the vaccine roll-out. The tool was used 6.3 million times in 2022.
  • Collaborated with the Ministry of Health to keep the COVID‑19 self-assessment tool and four separate public screening tools(i.e., school and childcare screening; customer screening for businesses and public places; work and employee screening; courthouse screening) based on the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s guidance and provincial regulations. COVID screening tools were used more than 20.5 million times in 2022.
  • Maintained the COVID‑19 website that provides easy-to-access information on the government’s response to the pandemic and the latest updates in relation to public safety. The website was viewed 70.1 million times in 2022.
  • Continuously updated the COVID‑19 testing locations and clinical assessment centres finding tool, which enabled Ontarians to easily find locations to get a test or clinical assessment. The tool was used more than 7.8 million times in 2022.
• Released more than 35 different COVID‑19 open data sets on the Ontario Data Catalogue, crucial to understanding and responding to the pandemic. In 2022, this COVID‑19 data was viewed 710,000 times (excluding Application Programming Interfaces).

Driving Efficiencies

• Onboarded more than 1,060 programs onto the Transfer Payment Ontario platform and delivered over $36.3 billion in funding since 2016–17, to support the government’s Transfer Payment Consolidation initiative that reduces administrative burden and increases value-for-money for vital programs.
• Increased the adoption of low-cost Electronic Fund Transfers and other digital payment solution, as part of a larger government initiative to reduce administrative costs and encourage businesses to prioritize digitalization. As of Q3 2022–23, 91 per cent of all payments were digital.
• Migrated the Workforce Information Network’s (WIN) existing infrastructure, after evaluating to find opportunities for cost savings, legacy technology risk reduction, and better user experiences. The transition from the existing, costly data centre mainframe to a more modern, cloud-based infrastructure has resulted in several improvements:
  • Infrastructure costs reduced by 91 per cent.
  • Recovery point reduced from 24 hours to seconds, and recovery time from 72 to less than five hours.
  • Expanded self-service hours to provide staff with more opportunities to access WIN when needed.
  • Improved performance on the cloud, allowing for shorter overnight processing outages and shorter outages for system/operational updates.
  • Introduced an advanced navigational bar to help users find the information they need faster, for an improved user experience.

Supporting Businesses

• Since making it easier to start and grow a business with the launch of the new Ontario.ca/business website, over 2.5 million transactions have been successfully completed. This new resource was the first step towards creating a single window for businesses, reducing the administrative burdens for business owners, and not-for-profit corporations/operators. By taking the confusion out of completing necessary paperwork and permits, including some that will be backed with a service guarantee, it has allowed these entrepreneurs to better focus on growing our economy and serving our communities.
• Supported the government’s burden reduction plan by contributing approximately $39 million in annual regulatory compliance costs for businesses through changes that save them time and money. As well as reducing regulatory compliance requirements by 3.5 per cent.
• The ministry has maintained a significant minimum level of critical goods, and continues to deploy to public sector entities, including being able to withstand the challenges of extraordinary events without having to rely on unstable foreign supply.
• The Ontario government is creating a secure and reliable source of medical grade nitrile gloves by enabling the construction of a new 120,000-square-foot facility, resulting in the creation of hundreds of jobs for London area workers. As the first manufacturing facility of nitrile gloves outside of Asia, this plant will ensure a secure source of this critical piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) for our robust stockpile and be a major supplier to other Canadian provinces and the North American market, further building Ontario’s manufacturing sector and strengthening economic development.
• Continued work on legislative and regulatory amendments, and conducting consultations:
  • On July 1, 2022, changes came into effect that require owners of elevators in residential buildings and long-term care homes to report elevator outages lasting longer than 48 hours to the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). TSSA publishes this data, including elevator down time on the Authority’s website: Elevator Outage Records | TSSA Residential Elevator Availability. Additional regulatory amendments were also made to enable TSSA to impose administrative penalties for non-compliance with elevator laws. These changes help consumers make more informed decisions about where they choose to live and inform future improvements. The changes also respond to the 2018 Justice Cunningham report on elevator availability and the Auditor General of Ontario’s safety recommendations.
  • Critical legislative amendments to key corporate statutes were extended by regulation several times between 2020–2023, which included the Business Corporations Act; Corporations Act; Condominium Act, 1998; and Co-Operative Corporations Act. These changes helped businesses conduct corporate meetings virtually when in-person meetings were no longer a possibility.
  • As of January 1, 2023, changes under the Condominium Act, 1998 improve consumer protection for buyers of new or pre-construction condo properties whose purchase agreements are terminated. In certain circumstances, for example when condo projects are cancelled, condo developers pay an increased interest rate as set out in the regulations to purchasers on their deposits and other payments.
  • As of February 1, 2023, the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) is now able to impose administrative penalties on Ontario home builders or vendors who breach their legal and ethical obligations. In addition, the HCRA is also authorized to use the proceeds of administrative penalties and fines to provide funds to negatively impacted consumers, depending on the circumstances.
  • To support the implementation of additional provisions in the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2020, the ministry finalized regulations in April 2022 which included enhancing disclosure requirements and other registrant obligations to better protect consumers of real estate services, improving consumer choice, and updating the Real Estate Council of Ontario’s powers and tools.
  • Wine standards under the Vintners Quality Alliance Act, 1999 were updated to reflect current wine making processes including through the addition of a new grape variety.
  • In response to a recommendation made by the Auditor General of Ontario, Part VIII of the Electricity Act, 1998 was amended to enable the Electrical Safety Authority to issue administrative penalties to address illegal electrical installations in the province. The legislative amendment and the Minister’s regulation outlining the details of the administrative penalty system came into effect on April 1, 2023.
  • The Ministry has responded to several value-for-money audits performed by the Auditor General of Ontario on administrative authorities overseen by the Ministry, with a focus on improved service delivery, strengthening public safety, increasing transparency and accountability, and enhancing consumer protection.
  • To support the province’s construction industry, significant changes were made to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 to address immediate pressure points in the location of underground infrastructure delivery system, enhance governance and oversight of Ontario One Call, and improve Ontario One Call’s compliance tools. Launched a consultation on potential proposals for changes to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, and its regulations to reduce burden, improve regulatory efficiency, and protect consumers, the first consultation on these rules in over a decade. In addition, the ministry is responding to the recommendations stemming from the Auditor General of Ontario’s 2021 Value-For-Money Audit of the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council and the ministry’s oversight of the council.

People and Culture

• Improved equitable access to services:
  • Permanently eliminated the $35 fee for birth certificates for vulnerable Ontarians who are marginally housed or experiencing homelessness by extending the Birth Certificate Fee Waiver Program for participating not-for-profit organizations and eliminated the fee for the change of sex designation service to improve outcomes for trans, non-binary, and two-spirit communities.
  • Began offering French language characters, such as accents (e.g., ç, è, é, ê, ë), on Ontario health cards to better serve the Francophone community.
• The Archives of Ontario built relationships and cultural awareness through sharing and promotion of archival material:
  • Improved digital access to Black history by acting as host and a principal partner for Douglass Day, a North America-wide event that brought together 7,500 students, teachers, and community members in both online and in-person settings to create new digital resources that highlight African American individuals of historical significance.
  • Participated in its inaugural Nuit Blanche art exhibition, launched the ANIMALIA exhibit and hosted more than 500 visitors.
• Continued to modernize the delivery of training for management and staff provided by the Ministry, including developing and/or updating 50 e-training products for OPS staff on the Integrated Financial Information System, bringing the total number of eLearning products available on the enterprise learning management system, LearnON, to 291.

Note: Numbers may not add due to rounding.