New laws and regulations are coming to Ontario starting next month that will affect workers, those seeking childcare, and tenants.
From zoning changes to increased water fees, here’s a look at some of the key changes you need to be aware of.
Increased fees on the 407 ETR
If you regularly use the 407 ETR, you should be aware that the highway operator is introducing a new rate schedule on Jan. 1, 2025, that includes additional toll zones, increased fees, and new vehicle classifications that will affect how much you’re charged.
Starting next month, the highway will be split up into 12 zones (instead of the current four) to allow the 407 ETR to set different toll rates for each section and to better manage traffic volumes.
Apart from the new zones, there will also be new vehicle classifications, with rates to better reflect each vehicle’s impact. For example, motorcycles with be charged 0.8x the light vehicle rate, while medium-sized vehicles will be charged 1.5x the light vehicle rate.
The rate increase for light vehicles will range from three to 14 cents per kilometre, depending on a few factors, such as the time of day or zone you travel in. Starting next month, the annual transponder lease will also cost $29.50 plus tax.
Zoning bylaw changes for nightclubs
Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Toronto is set to introduce new licensing and zoning bylaws aimed at modernizing the city’s nightlife industry, impacting restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues across the city.
Some notable updates include new names and clarified categories for business licences, as well as the retirement or merging of existing categories. As a result, current business licence holders might need to transition to a new licence type, depending on the types of activities and services they provide.
As part of the zoning changes, the City will also permit entertainment establishments and nightclubs city-wide in most commercial zones in an effort to reduce the concentration of these spaces in the downtown core.
Still, nightclubs must be located in a non-residential building and located on the first-storey or in the basement.
Increased waste and water fees
Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, Toronto residents will see higher fees for essential services such as garbage collection and water usage.
The City says the upcoming 3.75 increase in service fees is designed to help fund waste management and water treatment services, as well as ongoing infrastructure projects.
Factoring in the increase, the yearly solid waste fee for a single-family household will be $306.36 for a small bin (an increase of $11.07), $371.91 for a medium bin (an increase of $13.44), $505.12 for a large bin (an increase of $18.26) and $585.89 for an extra-large bin (an increase of $21.18).
For water fees, an average household using 230 cubic meters of water annually will see an increase of approximately $39, bringing the total annual cost to $1,078 in 2025.
Child care
Next month, the Ontario government will be officially taking the next step in lowering child care fees for families as part of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, which will introduce a new fee cap to reduce costs for families.
As part of the changes, parent fees will be capped at $22 per day for children under the age of six in CWELCC programs starting in January. The provincial government estimates that this will result in additional savings of nearly $300 million for families in 2025.
The province also introduce a new cost-based funding approach for child care operators, which comes into effect on Jan. 1. The new method replaces the former “revenue replacement” approach that the government used between 2022 and 2024.
Cost-based funding prioritizes an easy-to-administer system that is consistent across Ontario and representative of the true costs of operation child care, the province says.
Ontario Building Code
The new Ontario Building Code officially comes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, with a three-month grace period that lasts until March 31, 2025, for specific designs that are already underway.
The building code aims to minimize regulatory burdens for the construction industry, as well as increase the safety and quality of buildings while making it even easier to build housing.
By eliminating over 1,700 technical variations between provincial and national standards, the updated code also aligns more closely with the National Construction Codes.
The province says the new code was developed in consultations with partners in the sector, including building officials, fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, and the construction industry.
