Bill 56, Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025

Summary#

• Bill 56 (“Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025”) changes many Ontario laws. Its stated goals are to speed approvals, improve labour mobility, and lower costs for business.

• The bill limits some local clean water rules, changes road safety tools, updates rules for forests and species at risk, and expands who can do certain health tasks or use professional titles.

• Clean Water: Narrows what local drinking water source protection plans can require for activities labeled high risk; speeds up approvals and allows approvals by default if deadlines are missed; requires certain government permits and approvals to align with source protection policies.

• Roads: Ends automated speed enforcement (photo radar) in Ontario law; lets the Minister order municipalities to install school‑zone signs and, if needed, install them directly.

• Health workforce: Lets regulations name additional people who can do certain health tasks (like dental device work, hearing aid dispensing, or radiation-related tasks) or use protected titles; creates a fast‑track pathway for out‑of‑province health professionals to be registered within two business days, with limits on extra requirements; allows temporary suspensions if important information surfaces after registration.

• Forestry: Allows one forest management plan to cover multiple areas; removes the yearly harvest approval requirement; expands stop‑work powers and penalties; gives the Minister, not Cabinet, power to approve operating manuals. In related changes, certain forestry operations done under approved plans are not subject to some species‑at‑risk prohibitions or orders.

• Species at risk: Clarifies that protections cover parts and products of listed species; updates when habitat protection orders can be used; aligns other laws and lists.

What it means for you#

• Drivers and parents

  • Automated speed enforcement (photo radar) would end. Tickets based on that system would stop. Municipal contracts linked to these systems could not be used to sue the Province or cities for losses due to the repeal.
  • The Minister can require your city to install school‑zone signs by a set date. If the city does not act, the Province can install the signs.

• Residents and water users

  • Local drinking water protection plans would have fewer types of policies they can apply to some government decisions. In many cases, they may either prohibit new high‑risk activities or set policies that other permits must be designed to achieve, using standard wording set by the Minister.
  • Updates are intended to happen faster. If the Minister does not act on a submitted plan change within a time limit, it is approved by default.

• Patients and families

  • More health workers could be allowed, by regulation, to perform certain tasks (for example, work on dental devices or dispense hearing aids) or use certain professional titles, under set conditions.
  • People moving from other provinces could join Ontario health Colleges faster, often without extra exams or training, unless needed for public safety. Colleges could still impose limits or refuse based on safety or conduct concerns.

• Health professionals

  • Out‑of‑province applicants to prescribed Colleges must be registered or referred for refusal within two business days. Colleges are limited in adding extra training or exams but can set standard fees and require good‑character evidence and proof of good standing.
  • If important information is found within a year of fast‑track registration, a Registrar can temporarily suspend or add limits while the Registration Committee reviews the matter.

• Pharmacists, pharmacies, and other prescribers

  • Definitions change so regulations can name additional people for certain roles (such as “pharmacist” or “pharmacy technician”) in limited contexts. Some duties in the Act still apply only to College members.
  • Pharmacies generally must receive drugs at the pharmacy location, with an exception if it is in the best interest of a patient.

• Forestry workers and companies

  • One management plan can cover multiple units, and the annual harvest approval step is removed. Stop‑work orders and administrative penalties apply across both licences and permits.
  • Forest operations done in Crown forests under approved plans, on behalf of the Crown or under a licence, are exempt from certain species‑at‑risk prohibitions and orders.

• Environmental and heritage stakeholders

  • Protections for species at risk are clarified to include parts and products; the Minister can issue habitat protection orders in more situations.
  • Several statutes are updated to refer to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. Minor wording fixes are made to the Ontario Heritage Act.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Speeds up approvals and reduces “red tape” for water planning, forestry operations, and professional licensing.
• Helps fill health care shortages by moving qualified workers from other provinces into practice quickly.
• Keeps public safety tools focused on consistent school‑zone signs, while removing automated speed enforcement systems that some view as costly or unfair.
• Aligns rules with the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and improves labour mobility for workers and large projects.
• Provides clearer, more flexible rules by letting regulations name additional qualified people for specific health tasks and titles.
• Clarifies species protections while allowing managed forestry to proceed under approved plans.

Opponents' View#

• Limits what local source protection plans can require and increases Minister control, which may weaken community‑driven drinking water safeguards.
• Repeals automated speed enforcement, which critics say could reduce speed compliance and safety, especially near schools.
• Lets non‑members, named by regulation, use protected health titles or perform specific tasks, which some fear could lower standards or confuse patients.
• Exempts certain forestry operations from species‑at‑risk prohibitions and orders, which critics say could harm vulnerable species and habitats.
• Shields governments from contract claims tied to ending photo radar, raising concerns about fairness and accountability.
• Concentrates decision‑making power (for example, Minister approval of forestry manuals) and reduces external oversight.