Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025

SUMMARY FROM THE OFFICIAL REGISTRY

What you need to know

SCHEDULE 1 CLEAN WATER ACT, 2006 The Schedule makes multiple amendments to the Clean Water Act, 2006 . Some of the more significant amendments are described below. Section 22 of the Act is amended by adding subsection (8.1), which provides that, subject to regulations made by the Minister, where an activity engaged in at a particular location is identified in an assessment report as a significant drinking water threat, a source protection plan shall not, for the purposes of satisfying paragraph 2 of subsection 22 (2), include any policy in respect of a decision described in subsection 42.1 (1) except one of the policies set out in a paragraph to this new subsection. Such a policy must be set out in the wording prescribed by the Minister. The Minister may by regulation require a source protection authority to review a source protection plan within the prescribed period to ensure compliance with these new requirements. Section 30 of the Act is amended to provide that as soon as reasonably possible after an amendment to a source protection plan is deemed to be approved by the Minister in accordance with subsection 34 (6) or (7), the Minister shall publish notice of the approval on the environmental registry. Section 34 of the Act is amended by adding subsections (6) and (7), which provide that if the Minister does not exercise an option set out in subsection 29 (1) or (2), as the case may be, within 120 days after the source protection authority submits proposed amendments under subsection 34 (4), or within the prescribed period, the proposed amendments are deemed to be approved. The new subsection 34 (8) provides that in prescribed circumstances, and according to any prescribed process, the source protection authority shall decide whether to approve proposed amendments. The new section 42.1 provides that, subject to regulations made by the Minister, a person or body that makes a decision to issue, otherwise create or amend a prescribed instrument shall ensure that if the source protection plan includes a policy set out in the new subsection 22 (8.1), the decision conforms to or is designed to achieve the objective of the policy, as the case may be. SCHEDULE 2 CROWN FOREST SUSTAINABILITY ACT, 1994 Currently, the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 requires a forest management plan to be prepared for every management unit. The Act is amended to provide that a forest management plan may apply to more than one forest management unit. Section 44 of the Act, which requires a holder of a forest resource licence to obtain the Minister’s approval each year before beginning to harvest, is repealed. The power of the Minister to order permittees to stop removal activities is amended to also apply to holders of forest resource licences, and the power to issue certain administrative penalties in respect of forest resource licences is amended to also apply in respect of permits. The power of the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations approving and amending manuals is repealed, and the same power is granted to the Minister. SCHEDULE 3 DRUG AND PHARMACIES REGULATION ACT The Schedule amends the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act . The definitions that refer to members of the Ontario College of Pharmacists are amended to include additional prescribed persons. The Act is also amended to allow certain actions in that Act to be made by or in respect of prescribed persons. A related regulation-making provision is added and other minor amendments are made. SCHEDULE 4 HEALING ARTS RADIATION PROTECTION ACT The Schedule amends the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act . Subsection 6 (1) is amended to remove references to persons prescribed by the regulations in clauses (a) and (g) and to add a more general power to prescribe persons in a new clause (h). SCHEDULE 5 HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT The Schedule amends the Highway Traffic Act . A new section is added providing that the Minister may direct a municipality to install signs in school zones on highways under its jurisdiction, and that if the municipality does not install the signs, the Minister may carry out the installation. Part XIV.1, which authorizes the use of automated speed enforcement systems, is repealed. Certain causes of action related to the repeal of Part XIV.1 are extinguished and various consequential and related amendments are made. SCHEDULE 6 ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT The Schedule amends clause 48 (8.2) (b) of the Ontario Heritage Act by replacing the reference to the Agreement on Internal Trade with a reference to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. The Schedule also amends the English version of clause 51.3 (1) (b) of the Act by replacing the term “investigation” with “inspection” to match the term used in the cross-referenced provision. SCHEDULE 7 ONTARIO LABOUR MOBILITY ACT, 2009