Changes hit several Ontario Acts

As the calendar turned to 2022 over the weekend, a number of legislative and regulatory changes came into effect in Ontario, including several that impact construction in the province.

Among the numerous changes that came in on January 1 were an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act to make it easier for manufacturers of cement to substitute coal and petroleum coke with alternative fuels, an update to the definition of “journeyperson” under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, and the creation of a compliance and enforcement framework for the skilled trades.

Also updated were sections of the excess soil regulation under the Environmental Protection Act for excess soil reuse planning; clarifications regarding the permitted use of remote inspections under the Ontario Building Code; and alignment of class environmental assessment for minor transmission facilities under the Environmental Assessment Act to better match those under the federal environmental assessment process for new international transmission lines.

Under a change to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will also return surpluses to employers who pay premiums.

For more details, and additional changes that have come into effect, visit https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1001388/regulations-and-statutes-to-build-ontario.