Ontario Government Introduces the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025.

The Premier, Cabinet Ministers and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) were back at Queen’s Park for the first day of the Ontario legislature’s fall session. The Government’s legislative agenda kicked off with the introduction of the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025, which is designed to strengthen the province’s economy by reducing red tape, streamlining regulatory processes, and supporting local businesses and workers.

The Act, if passed, aims to make Ontario the most attractive jurisdiction in the G7 for business, with a particular focus on simplifying and speeding up permits and approvals.

Key measures taken in the Building a More Competitive Economy Act include:

1. Streamlining Permits and Approvals

• Ontario is reviewing over 300 business-facing permits and approvals, aiming to eliminate or simplify at least 35% by 2028.
• A new digital portal will allow businesses to apply for multiple permits in one place, starting with mining and expanding to other sectors.
• The “One Project One Process” framework will coordinate approvals across ministries, reducing review times by up to 50% and providing a single point of contact for project proponents and Indigenous communities.

2. Legislative Changes for Drinking Water

• Amendments to the Clean Water Act will enable faster approvals for routine updates to source protection plans, supporting the timely expansion of municipal drinking water systems.
• Regulatory updates will simplify consultation processes and remove duplicate steps, while maintaining strong protections for health and the environment.

3. Technical and Environmental Changes

• The Species Conservation Act introduces a streamlined registration-first approach for projects affecting species at risk, modernising approvals while maintaining environmental safeguards.
• Updates to the Ontario Heritage Act will ensure regulatory language is clear and consistent, without changing policy intent.

4. Labour Mobility and Local Procurement

• Expanded “As of Right” rules and automatic recognition will make it easier for skilled workers to move across Canada and start work in Ontario immediately.
• Creates a “Made-in-Ontario” vehicle policy for the Ontario Public Service, broader public sector and for municipalities.
• Undertake specific actions to promote buying domestic products particularly in public capital infrastructure projects.

Analysis

The Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 represents a shift in Ontario’s approach to economic development and regulatory management. The move to a centralised digital portal and coordinated approval processes will reduce administrative delays and provide greater certainty for businesses and communities.

Expanding labour mobility and encouraging local procurement should help address skills shortages and support domestic industries, making Ontario more resilient to external economic pressures. Overall, these reforms are likely to make Ontario a more attractive destination for investment and enable the timely delivery of major projects. However, successful implementation will depend on effective coordination across ministries, robust digital infrastructure, and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including Indigenous communities.