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New laws coming into effect in Canada in 2022 – CTV News

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With 2021 behind us, a number of new rules and regulations are set to take effect this year. Some of the changes include minimum wage hikes, plastic bag bans and soft drink taxes. 

Below are just some of the new rules and regulations set to come into effect federally and provincially in 2022:

NATIONWIDE

Ban on conversion therapy

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Federal legislation banning conversion therapy received a royal assent on Dec. 8, but will not come into force until Jan. 7, 2022, 30 days after the bill became law.

The new law will make conversion therapy, a practice that seeks to change someone’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or their gender identity to cisgender, punishable by up to five years in prison. Anyone found to be promoting, advertising, or profiting from providing the practice could face up to two years in prison.

Ban on single-use plastics

A federal ban on single use plastics was promised by the end of 2021, but in November the government announced the ban would be delayed to sometime in 2022.

The ban includes six single-use plastic items, including checkout bags, cutlery and straws.

End to fossil fuel financing

The federal government announced at COP26 this year that it would stop new direct public finance for coal, oil and gas development by the end of 2022 and shift that investment to renewable energy projects.

The United States, United Kingdom and 21 other nations also joined the pledge.

Changes to carbon tax refunds

Beginning in July, rebates issued to residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, due to the increased costs of carbon pricing will be issued quarterly, instead of annually.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Milk container refund

In February, containers for milk and milk alternatives are joining B.C.’s list of products eligible for a refund, similar to cans and bottles.

The province estimates the program will help it recycle 40 million more containers each year.

Paid sick leave

Beginning on Jan. 1, part-time and full-time employees in British Columbia are entitled to five days of paid sick leave.

ALBERTA

Day care prices to drop

As part of a $3.8 billion deal with the federal government, Alberta’s day care fees will be cut in half — on average — beginning on Jan. 1,with the goal of reaching $10 per day childcare by 2025.

The deal is also expected to create some 40,000 new spaces for non-profit childcare in the province.

New area code

Alberta will welcome its fifth area code, 368, on April 23.

The new code will only be issued once the province runs out of numbers on the existing area codes and will not affect existing phone users. 

SASKATCHEWAN

Mandatory smoke detectors

Beginning on July 1, all residential buildings in Saskatchewan will be required to have both a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.

The law includes buildings with regular sleeping quarters, such as houses, condos, apartments, townhouses, duplexes, motels and care facilities.

Before this law was introduced, buildings built since 1988 were required to have a fire alarm and buildings built since 2009 were required to have a carbon monoxide detector.

MANITOBA

Changes to investigations of human rights complaints

Beginning on Jan. 1, Manitoba is implementing changes to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to allow the department to respond to human rights complaints sooner.

The changes allow the commission’s executive director to dismiss complaints and to decline an investigation into some complaints, as well as setting time limits on hearings and decisions.

Under the current system, it can take up to six years for a human rights complaint to be resolved in Manitoba.

ONTARIO

Minimum wage increase

Ontario’s minimum wage is increasing to $15 per hour as of Jan. 1, which critics have said is still not enough to earn a living wage in the province.

Rent hikes are back

Ontario’s rent freeze, a measure meant to help residents during the pandemic, is also slated to end on Jan. 1. The provincial government has set an increase guideline of 1.2 per cent for 2022.

Ease at the pumps?

While gas prices reach all-time highs in the province, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has promised a cut to the gas tax of up to six cents per litre, delivered by March 31.

QUEBEC

Changes to the Quebec curriculum

Beginning in the 2022 school year, classrooms in Quebec will begin teaching “Culture and Citizenship in Quebec” instead of the Ethics and Religious Culture program.

The new program focuses on three main aspects: “culture,” “citizenship in Quebec,” and “dialogue and critical thinking.”

The program will be under a pilot program in 2022, before being taught province wide in 2023.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Changes to address youth vaping

New Brunswick is requiring all vape shops to purchase a $100 licence as of Jan. 4, though it will not be enforced until April 1.

The province says the licences will allow for business inspections, will increase accountability and would allow for communication in case of a recall.

Proposed animal protection measures

Though only proposed, New Brunswick is also planning to implement additional animal protection measures on Jan. 1.

The new measures include requiring all dog and cat sellers to provide a valid certificate of health to purchasers, improved tethering standards and adding two new standards for animal care: the NBSPCA Code of Practice for the Care of Dogs and the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Rabbits.

NOVA SCOTIA

Changes to adoption records

Nova Scotia is introducing changes to adoption records that allow adopted children and birth parents access to their adoption records once they turn 19.

The changes will take effect as early as April.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Minimum wage increase

Effective April 1, Prince Edward Island’s minimum wage is increasing to $13.70 per hour.

The 70-cent increase gives P.E.I. the highest minimum wage in Atlantic Canada.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Soft drink tax

Newfoundland and Labrador is introducing 20-cent-per-litre tax on drinks with added sugars as of September.   

The tax is expected to bring in $9 million for the province.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Increased training for new truck drivers

Those wishing to get into the field of truck driving will need to take a mandatory entry-level training program to receive their Class 1 licence, beginning in January.

Before, new truck drivers would only need to pass a practical and theoretical exam to receive the certification.

YUKON

Ban on single-use plastic bags

Beginning on Jan. 1, single-use plastic shopping bags are banned in Yukon as part of “initial steps towards a broader ban of single-use plastics in the Yukon and reflect feedback received following engagement with Yukoners and Yukon businesses,” according to a news release from the territory.

The territory is also planning a ban on single-use paper bags for Jan. 1, 2023.

NUNAVUT

New holiday

Nunavut did not recognize Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but it will be a territorial statutory holiday in 2022.

In mid-September, the territorial government said it did not have enough time this year to formally recognize the holiday, but would be ready to do so in 2022.

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Alberta's population surges by record-setting 202,000 people: Here's where they all came from – CBC.ca

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Alberta smashed population-growth records in the past year, mainly due to people moving to the province from across Canada and around the world.

The province’s population surged to just over 4.8 million as of Jan. 1, according to new estimates released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.

That’s an increase of 202,324 residents compared with a year earlier, which marks — by far — the largest annual increase on record.

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Alberta also broke a national record in 2023 for interprovincial migration, with a net gain of 55,107 people.

“This was the largest gain in interprovincial migration nationally since comparable data became available in 1972,” Statistics Canada said in a release.


Most of the interprovincial migrants came from Ontario and British Columbia.

Statistics Canada estimates that 38,236 Ontarians moved to Alberta last year, versus 14,860 Albertans who moved to Ontario, for a net gain of 23,376 people.

Similarly, an estimated 37,650 British Columbians moved to Alberta, compared to 22,400 Albertans who moved to B.C., for a net gain of 15,250.


All told, interprovincial migration accounted for 27 per cent of Alberta’s population growth over the past year.

That put it just ahead of permanent immigration, which accounted for 26 per cent, and well ahead of natural population increase (more births than deaths), which accounted for eight per cent.

The largest component, however, was temporary international migration.

Non-permanent residents from other countries accounted for 39 per cent of the province’s population growth in the past year, reflecting a national trend.


Canada’s population reached 40,769,890 on Jan. 1, according to Statistics Canada estimates, which is up 3.2 per cent from a year ago.

“Most of Canada’s 3.2-per-cent population growth rate stemmed from temporary immigration in 2023,” Statistics Canada noted.

“Without temporary immigration, that is, relying solely on permanent immigration and natural increase (births minus deaths), Canada’s population growth would have been almost three times less (1.2 per cent).”

Alberta’s population, meanwhile, grew by 4.4 per cent year-over-year.

Alberta now represents 11.8 per cent of the country’s population, its largest proportion on record. 

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Why Canada's record population growth is helping – and hurting – the economy – CTV News

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Canada has recorded the fastest population growth in 66 years, increasing by 1.3 million people, or 3.2 per cent, in 2023, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.

The country has not seen such growth since 1957, when the spike was attributed to the baby boom and an influx of immigrants fleeing Hungary.

The vast majority of Canada’s growth last year was due to immigration, with temporary residents — which includes foreign workers and international students — making up the largest proportion of newcomers.

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“We need people coming to Canada to help with our economy,” says Matti Siemiatycki, a professor of planning at the University of Toronto. “There are many jobs and professions where there are vacancies, and that is having an impact, whether in the healthcare sector or trades and construction sector.”

Siemiatycki adds immigrants also bring “ingenuity… resources… and culture” to Canada.

Newcomers are relied on to help keep pace with Canada’s aging population and declining fertility rates, but the influx also presents a challenge for a country struggling to build the homes and infrastructure needed for immigrants.

“It’s an incredibly large shock for the economic system to absorb because of just the sheer number of people coming into the country in a short period of time,” says Robert Kavcic. a senior economist and director with BMO Capital Markets.

“The reality is population can grow extremely fast, but the supply side of the economy like housing and service infrastructure, think health care and schools, can only catch up at a really gradual pace,” Kavcic says. “So there is a mismatch right now.”

The impact of that mismatch can most acutely be seen in the cost of rent, services and housing.

In December, Kavcic wrote in a note that Canada needs to build 170,000 new housing units every three months to keep up with population growth, noting the industry is struggling to complete 220,000 units in a full year.

To address this, Ottawa has announced plans to cap the number of new temporary residents while also reducing the number of international student visas, a move economists say could offer some relief when it comes to housing and the cost of living.

“The arithmetic on the caps actual works relatively well because it would take us back down to 1 per cent population growth which we have been used to over the last decade and which is more or less absorbable by the economy,” Kavcic says. “The question is whether or not we see policy makers follow through and hit those numbers.”

Economists believe these changes could help ease inflationary pressures and may make a Bank of Canada rate cut more likely, but could also lead to slower GDP growth.

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Canada’s population hits 41M months after breaking 40M threshold – Global News

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Nine months after reaching a population of 40 million, Canada has cracked a new threshold.

As of Wednesday morning, it’s estimated 41 million people now call the country home, according to Statistics Canada’s live population tracker.

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The speed at which Canada’s population is growing was also reflected in new data released Wednesday by the federal agency: between Jan. 1 2023 and Jan. 1 2024, Canada added 1,271,872 inhabitants, a 3.2 per cent growth rate — the highest since 1957.

Most of Canada’s 3.2 per cent population growth rate stemmed from temporary immigration. Without it, Canada’s population growth would have been 1.2 per cent, Statistics Canada said.


Click to play video: 'Business News: Job growth fails to keep pace with population'

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Business News: Job growth fails to keep pace with population


From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023, Canada’s population increased by 241,494 people (0.6 per cent), the highest rate of growth in a fourth quarter since 1956.

Usha George, a professor at the Toronto Metropolitan Centre for Immigration and Settlement at Toronto Metropolitan University, told Global News in June a booming population can benefit the economy.

“It is not the bodies we are bringing in; these are bodies that fill in the empty spaces in the labour market,” she said.

“They bring a very-high level of skills.”


Click to play video: 'Canadian millennials surpass baby boomers as dominant generation: StatCan'

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Canadian millennials surpass baby boomers as dominant generation: StatCan


However, Ottawa has recently sought to ease the flow of temporary immigration in a bid to ease cost-of-living woes.


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Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on March 21 Ottawa would set targets for temporary residents allowed into Canada to ensure “sustainable” growth in the number of temporary residents entering the nation.

The next day, BMO economist Robert Kavcic in a note to clients the new limits will have a positive impact on Canada’s rental market and overall housing crisis.

“We’ve been firm in our argument that Canada has had an excess demand problem in housing, and this is maybe the clearest example,” Kavcic said.

“Non-permanent resident inflows, on net, have swelled to about 800K in the latest year, with few checks and balances in place, putting tremendous stress on housing supply and infrastructure.”

Alberta gains, Ontario loses: A look at Canadian migration in 2023

If Alberta is truly calling, then it appears more Canadians are choosing to answer.

Putting the pun on the provincial government’s attraction campaign aside, Canada’s wild rose country saw the largest net gain in interprovincial migration in 2023, Statistics Canada said in Wednesday’s report.


Click to play video: 'Is Alberta ready for population growth?'

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Is Alberta ready for population growth?


The agency said 55,107 Canadians moved to Alberta last year, which was the largest gain in interprovincial migration nationally since comparable data become available in 1972.

“Alberta has been recording gains in population from interprovincial migration since 2022, a reverse of the trend seen from 2016 to 2021, when more people left the province than arrived from other parts of Canada,” Statistics Canada said.

“Approximately 333,000 Canadians moved from one province or territory to another in 2023, the second-highest number recorded since the 1990s and the third straight year that interprovincial migration topped 300,000.”

Meanwhile, British Columbia had 8,624 more residents move out than in in 2023, meaning net interprovincial migration was negative for the first time since 2012, Statistics Canada said.

In general, the largest migration flows for British Columbia and Alberta are with each other, and most of the net loss from British Columbia in 2023 was to Alberta, it added.


Click to play video: '‘Enormous pressure’ expected in Ontario home care due to high growth of senior population'

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‘Enormous pressure’ expected in Ontario home care due to high growth of senior population


It also seems that good things may no longer be growing in Ontario; Canada’s most populous province lost 36,197 people to other regions in 2023, the biggest regional loss in 2023, Statistics Canada said.

That followed a loss of 38,816 people in 2022; the only other times a province has lost more than 35,000 people due to migration to other parts of Canada occurred in Quebec in 1977 and 1978.

Alberta aside, net interprovincial migration was also up in Nova Scotia (+6,169 people), New Brunswick (+4,790) and Prince Edward Island (+818), although all three Maritime provinces gained fewer interprovincial migrants in 2023 than in the two previous years, Statistics Canada said.

— with files from Uday Rana and Sean Previl

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