Ontario Construction Report staff writer
The Ontario government is introducing new legislation aimed at accelerating construction of homes, roads, and public transit with greater control over municipal planning.
The proposed Protecting Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act also prevents municipalities from requiring additional development studies or imposing construction standards that exceed the provincial building code. It further allows school boards to bypass local approval processes to add portable classrooms or plan new school buildings.
Designed to deliver “bold and innovative solutions” to speed up construction, the legislation introduces several measures with wide-ranging implications:
- Development charges: Builders will now pay these fees at the end of construction (at occupancy) rather than upfront.
- Expanded use of MZOs: Both the housing and infrastructure ministers will have the authority to override local planning rules, particularly for transit-oriented developments, including GO Transit and LRT projects.
- Municipal limitations: Local governments will be restricted from imposing additional building studies or higher construction standards.
However, Richmond Hill Mayor David West says municipalities could struggle to fund infrastructure like parks and libraries if DCs are reduced or delayed.
“Development charges pay for growth. If we’re not collecting them, the burden shifts to taxpayers — and that’s not acceptable,” West said.
However, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association supports the new rules that target permitting delays and upfront fees.
“In many cases, these add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of a new home,” the association said in a statement.
Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma defended the move as a necessary step in addressing sluggish housing growth.
“We’re doing everything we can to help our builders and municipalities,” she said. “The numbers aren’t looking good, and we need to prioritize the next 12 to 24 months.”