Ontario bill proposes faster permits and easier worker licensing

Ontario’s proposed Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026 would change business permits and other approval processes. The government says the measures could eliminate nearly 220,000 days of permit-processing time; the bill has been introduced, not enacted.

• The province has reviewed 51% of its 375 business-facing permits in the first year of a three-year review. It says 65% of the permits reviewed so far have been eliminated, streamlined or changed.
• The government aims to eliminate, streamline or change 35–50% of those permits by the end of 2028.
• Proposed measures would streamline environmental approvals, build Ontario’s waste-storage capacity and reduce barriers for regulated workers from other provinces and territories.
• The release also cites a previously announced plan to cut construction timelines for the Highway 69 expansion by up to five years.