Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act, 2025

SUMMARY FROM THE OFFICIAL REGISTRY

What you need to know

SCHEDULE 1 BUY ONTARIO, BUY CANADIAN DAY ACT, 2025 The Schedule enacts the Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian Day Act, 2025 , which proclaims the last Friday of June in each year as Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian Day. SCHEDULE 2 FAIR ACCESS TO REGULATED PROFESSIONS AND COMPULSORY TRADES ACT, 2006 The Schedule amends the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006 to provide that certain timelines relating to domestic labour mobility applicants are to be determined according to calendar days rather than business days. SCHEDULE 3 LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD OF ONTARIO ACT, 2019 The Schedule amends the Liquor Control Board of Ontario Act, 2019 to require the LCBO to, if directed by the Minister, implement a framework to facilitate the sale of liquor from a manufacturer in one province or territory to a consumer in another province or territory. The LCBO is required to comply with any directives issued by the Minister with respect to the framework. SCHEDULE 4 LIQUOR LICENCE AND CONTROL ACT, 2019 The Schedule amends the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 by adding a new section 77.1 respecting agreements between the Minister of Finance or another member of the Executive Council and other Canadian jurisdictions to facilitate the sale of liquor from a manufacturer in one province or territory to a consumer in another province or territory. Subsection 78 (1) of the Act is also amended to allow the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations respecting the implementation of these agreements and the sale of liquor as contemplated by them. SCHEDULE 5 ONTARIO FREE TRADE AND MOBILITY ACT, 2025 The Schedule enacts the Ontario Free Trade and Mobility Act, 2025 . Under the Act, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may designate a jurisdiction in Canada as a reciprocating jurisdiction in certain circumstances, and may make regulations providing that the mutual recognition rules set out in the Act apply to a reciprocating jurisdiction. The mutual recognition rules provide that, if certain conditions are met, (a) a good from a reciprocating jurisdiction shall be treated as if it met the corresponding Ontario standards and approvals; (b) a person or entity who has an authorization from a reciprocating jurisdiction to provide a service shall be entitled to the equivalent authorization in Ontario. Other provisions of the Act include protections against liability and regulation-making powers. SCHEDULE 6 ONTARIO LABOUR MOBILITY ACT, 2009 The Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 is amended as follows: Section 9 of the Act, which governs when an applicant is certified by an out-of-province regulatory authority, is amended to prohibit an authority from requiring an individual to meet such requirements as may be prescribed as a condition of certification. Section 10 of the Act is re-enacted to establish timelines within which Ontario regulatory authorities must respond to applications for certification from individuals already certified by an out-of-province regulatory authority. New section 10.1 of the Act provides for the deemed certification of individuals already certified by an out-of-province regulatory authority to practice a regulated occupation in Ontario in certain circumstances for a one-time six-month period of time. Corresponding regulation-making authorities are added to section 25 of the Act. Section 11 of the Act, which governs Ontario regulatory authorities’ publication duties, is re-enacted to include a requirement to publish certain information respecting applications for certification by individuals who are already certified by an out-of-province regulatory authority. New section 16.1 of the Act requires Ontario regulatory authorities to report on matters respecting labour mobility. New section 20.1 of the Act makes it an offence for a person to make a representation, knowing it to be false, for the purpose of meeting a requirement set out in subsection 10.1 (2) of the Act. New section 27.1 of the Act addresses protections against liability.