Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
Ontario's Bill 60 speeds up transit construction, housing development, and infrastructure by amending 15 laws and creating a new water utility framework.
Key Changes
- Metrolinx notice periods for accessing municipal land and infrastructure are cut from 30 days to 15 days, and its access powers are expanded to cover transit operation and maintenance, not just construction
- A new Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act is created, allowing the province to designate private corporations to run water and sewage services on behalf of municipalities, with the Minister controlling rate approvals
- Water and sewage jurisdiction is transferred from Peel Region to the cities of Mississauga, Brampton, and the Town of Caledon by no later than January 1, 2029
- Municipalities are prohibited from reducing motor vehicle lanes for bicycle lanes or other prescribed purposes, with limited exceptions
- Tenants must pay half of any claimed rent arrears before they can raise their own issues at a Landlord and Tenant Board eviction hearing
- Requests to review a Landlord and Tenant Board decision must be submitted within 15 days of the decision being issued, and the Minister's planning decisions (outside the Greenbelt) no longer need to be consistent with provincial policy statements
Gotchas
- The new Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act includes broad immunity provisions that block most lawsuits against the Crown, municipalities, and their officials related to the transfer of water services, with only judicial review and constitutional challenges permitted
- The Minister's planning decisions (outside the Greenbelt) are explicitly exempted from having to be consistent with provincial policy statements, retroactively applying to past decisions as well
- Transfer of municipal water and sewage assets to a new corporation does not require consent from the transferor, transferee, or any other party, and overrides other laws requiring notice or registration
- Tenants raising issues at an eviction hearing for non-payment of rent must first pay half the claimed arrears, which could be a financial barrier for tenants who dispute the amount owed
- Several schedules, including the Residential Tenancies Act changes and the new Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, come into force on a date to be named later by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, meaning the timing of their effect is not fixed in the legislation itself
Who's Affected
- Municipalities (especially Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, and Peel Region) losing or gaining jurisdiction over water and sewage services
- Tenants and landlords dealing with eviction proceedings at the Landlord and Tenant Board
- Metrolinx and transit construction contractors working on provincial transit projects
- Developers and builders affected by changes to development charges and zoning standards
- Cyclists and municipalities that have installed or planned bicycle lanes
- Towing and vehicle storage operators subject to regulated maximum charges
- Driver's licence and photo card applicants who must now prove Ontario residency and legal status in Canada
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The new Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act includes broad immunity provisions that block most lawsuits against the Crown, municipalities, and their officials related to the transfer of water services, with only judicial review and constitutional challenges permitted
- The Minister's planning decisions (outside the Greenbelt) are explicitly exempted from having to be consistent with provincial policy statements, retroactively applying to past decisions as well
- Transfer of municipal water and sewage assets to a new corporation does not require consent from the transferor, transferee, or any other party, and overrides other laws requiring notice or registration
- Tenants raising issues at an eviction hearing for non-payment of rent must first pay half the claimed arrears, which could be a financial barrier for tenants who dispute the amount owed
- Several schedules, including the Residential Tenancies Act changes and the new Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, come into force on a date to be named later by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, meaning the timing of their effect is not fixed in the legislation itself
Summary
Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, is an Ontario omnibus bill that amends 15 existing laws and creates one new law. Its main goals are to speed up transit construction (especially Metrolinx projects), build more housing faster, reduce gridlock, strengthen driver licensing oversight, and streamline processes at the Landlord and Tenant Board. The bill affects a wide range of areas including transit, roads, development charges, water services, tenancy rules, and highway standards. Some of the biggest changes include: giving Metrolinx and the province more power to access municipal land and infrastructure for transit projects with shorter notice periods; creating a new type of corporation to take over water and sewage services from municipalities (starting with Peel Region's services being split among Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon); and making it harder for municipalities to reduce motor vehicle lanes for bike lanes. The bill also changes rules at the Landlord and Tenant Board, including requiring tenants to pay half of any rent arrears before raising their own issues at a hearing. The bill was introduced by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and received Royal Assent in 2025. It reflects the Ontario government's stated priorities of cutting red tape, building infrastructure faster, and increasing housing supply.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 2025 | Third Reading of Bill 60, An Act to amend various Acts and to enact the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, 2025. | 71 | 43 | Carried |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Second Reading of Bill 60, An Act to amend various Acts and to enact the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, 2025. | 70 | 38 | Carried |
| Nov 6, 2025 | Motion for allocation of time on Bill 60, An Act to amend various Acts and to enact the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, 2025, Bill 33, An Act to amend various Acts in relation to child, youth and family services, education, and colleges and universities and Bill 40, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to energy, the electrical sector and public utilities. | 65 | 35 | Carried |