Ontario bill aims to cut 220,000 days of permit waits

The Ontario government introduced the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026, on Tuesday, legislation it says would cut nearly 220,000 days of permit processing time for businesses.

The bill is the province’s latest red-tape package and covers permitting, waste capacity, environmental approvals and labour mobility, the government said in a news release.

“We’re giving businesses the confidence and predictability they need to invest and create jobs here in Ontario, so we can stand up to tariffs, protect our workers and build the most competitive economy in the G7,” said Andrea Khanjin, minister of red tape reduction.

The province said it has committed to review all 375 of its business-facing permits over three years and to eliminate, streamline or transform 35 to 50 per cent of them by the end of 2028. In the first year, it has reviewed 51 per cent of those permits and changed 65 per cent of the ones reviewed, according to the release.

The government said the bill also responds to new U.S. tariffs on Canadian waste products by reducing Ontario’s reliance on American landfill and waste storage capacity. Other measures would align environmental approvals with other provinces and territories and make it easier for certified workers from elsewhere in Canada to work in regulated jobs in Ontario.

Several measures in the bill were announced earlier, the province said, including changes to the heritage framework, a faster timeline for the Highway 69 expansion that it says could save up to five years, more accountability for the Blue Box recycling program and electricity system changes.

Citizenship Minister Graham McGregor said the changes would cut archaeological approval timelines by up to 80 per cent, while Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the province plans to streamline or remove more than half of the requirements and permits tied to opening or expanding a mine.

The province said the bill maintains protections for public health and safety, the environment and the Crown’s duty to consult. Details are in the Ontario newsroom.

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