TORONTO – The new year means a slew of changes to provincial regulations and fees beginning Jan. 1.
From a ban on selling flavoured tobacco to the end of the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, the province of Ontario has released a comprehensive list.
Below are some of the key changes you should take note of.
New Ontario Regulations
- the Debt Retirement Charge charge will be removed from residential users’ electricity bills, saving a typical user about $70 per year
- the five-year Ontario Clean Energy Benefit that gives eligible customers 10 per cent off their electricity bill will come to an end
- the new integrated Healthy Smiles Ontario Program will make it easier for children and youth from low-income families to get free dental care
- all insurance companies in Ontario must provide a discount for drivers who buy and install winter tires
- a legislative change to ban the sale of flavoured tobacco will come into force
- under the Electronic Cigarettes Act, e-cigarettes cannot be sold to youth and e-cigarette retailers must have appropriate signage
- Ontario will become the first province in Canada to test automated vehicle (AV) technology on-road (AVs are driverless or self-driving vehicles)
- amendments to the Highway Traffic Act include:
-allowing municipalities to mail certain traffic tickets to out-of-province vehicle licence plate owners
-drivers must remain stopped at a pedestrian crossovers or school crossing until the person crossing the street and the school crossing guard are off the roadway
-drivers must stop before entering the crossover and not overtake another vehicle already stopped at the crossover.
-pedestrians are no longer allowed to enter a crossover and into the path of a vehicle or street car that is so close that the driver cannot stop
New fees and fee increases
- fee applied to unpaid fines under the Provincial Offences Act (POA) will increase from $20 to $40
- $1 on a typical residential electricity bill each month to pay for Ontario Electricity Support Program
- ON1Call is reducing fees on its members by reducing standard locate notification costs from $1.40 to $1.10
You can find the full list of regulation and fee changes here.
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