Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
Ontario's 2026 budget bill amends 17 laws covering conservation authorities, taxes, pensions, ticket resale, and freedom of information.
Key Changes
- Merges 35 conservation authorities into 8 new regional conservation authorities, with a transition period managed by government-appointed committees
- Creates the 'Protect Ontario Account Investment Fund,' a new government fund to make strategic investments in innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth
- Caps secondary market (resale) ticket prices at the original purchase price plus applicable fees, and requires proof of original price before resale
- Removes Victoria Day as a statutory holiday under the Retail Business Holidays Act, meaning retailers can no longer be required to close on that day
- Adjusts liquor tax rates for beer, wine, and spirits, and changes how small beer manufacturers calculate their tax credits
- Expands freedom of information rules to allow institutions to respond to large or complex record requests with a staged access plan, and changes time limits to business days
- Authorizes Ontario to borrow up to $35 billion under the Ontario Loan Act, 2026
- Exempts records held by a minister's office from freedom of information access, retroactive to January 1, 1988
Gotchas
- The exemption of ministerial office records from freedom of information is retroactive to January 1, 1988, meaning previously filed requests and existing orders granting access to such records are nullified
- The bill removes section 28 of the Financial Administration Act, which previously required government approval for transactions that increase Ontario's debt or contingent liabilities, potentially reducing oversight of certain financial commitments
- Conservation authority amalgamations give the provincial government significant control over the transition process, including the ability to appoint the first chief administrative officer of each new authority and issue binding directions to existing authorities during the transition
- The ticket resale price cap includes a 'no compensation' clause, meaning businesses affected by the new rules cannot sue the government for losses resulting from the changes
- The Bremner Boulevard Act extinguishes most legal causes of action against the Crown and the City of Toronto related to bus parking requirements near the former SkyDome, retroactively and prospectively, with limited exceptions for judicial review or constitutional claims
Who's Affected
- Conservation authority employees, boards, and the municipalities that fund them
- Event-goers and ticket resellers using secondary ticketing platforms
- Beer, wine, and spirits producers and consumers
- Pension plan members and administrators, particularly those with defined contribution or variable life benefit plans
- Businesses that operate on Family Day or Victoria Day
- Anyone who files freedom of information requests with provincial or municipal institutions
- Status Indians (First Nations people registered under the Indian Act) who are now exempt from the foreign buyer land transfer tax
- Ontario taxpayers broadly, through the $35 billion borrowing authorization
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The exemption of ministerial office records from freedom of information is retroactive to January 1, 1988, meaning previously filed requests and existing orders granting access to such records are nullified
- The bill removes section 28 of the Financial Administration Act, which previously required government approval for transactions that increase Ontario's debt or contingent liabilities, potentially reducing oversight of certain financial commitments
- Conservation authority amalgamations give the provincial government significant control over the transition process, including the ability to appoint the first chief administrative officer of each new authority and issue binding directions to existing authorities during the transition
- The ticket resale price cap includes a 'no compensation' clause, meaning businesses affected by the new rules cannot sue the government for losses resulting from the changes
- The Bremner Boulevard Act extinguishes most legal causes of action against the Crown and the City of Toronto related to bus parking requirements near the former SkyDome, retroactively and prospectively, with limited exceptions for judicial review or constitutional claims
Summary
Bill 97 is Ontario's 2026 budget implementation bill, meaning it makes the legal changes needed to carry out the provincial budget. It is a large omnibus bill that touches many different areas of law at once, from how conservation authorities are organized to how concert tickets can be resold. Some of the biggest changes include merging 35 conservation authorities into 8 larger regional ones, creating a new government investment fund called the Protect Ontario Account Investment Fund, and capping ticket resale prices at what was originally paid. The bill also adjusts several tax rates — including for beer, wine, and spirits — and makes changes to how people can request government records under freedom of information laws. The bill was introduced by the Minister of Finance as part of Ontario's 2026 budget process. It affects a wide range of people, including conservation authority employees and municipalities, pension plan members, small business owners, event-goers, and anyone who files freedom of information requests with the provincial or municipal government.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | Third Reading of Bill 97, An Act to implement Budget measures, to enact, amend or repeal various statutes and to revoke various regulations. | 57 | 33 | Carried |
| Apr 21, 2026 | Motion for allocation of time on Bill 97, An Act to implement Budget measures, to enact, amend or repeal various statutes and to revoke various regulations, Bill 98, An Act to enact the Fare Alignment and Seamless Transit Act, 2026 and to amend various Acts and Bill 101, An Act to amend various Acts in respect of education and child care. | 67 | 36 | Carried |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Motion for closure on the motion for Second Reading of Bill 97, An Act to implement Budget measures, to enact, amend or repeal various statutes and to revoke various regulations. | 66 | 37 | Carried |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Second Reading of Bill 97, An Act to implement Budget measures, to enact, amend or repeal various statutes and to revoke various regulations. | 66 | 37 | Carried |