Bill 130, Adapting to a Hotter Ontario Act, 2026

EXPLANATORY NOTE

SCHEDULE 1
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT

The Schedule amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to add a new Part IV.1. New Part IV.1 requires the Minister to develop and implement a Worker Heat Protection Standard and sets out requirements for that standard. Every employer is required to ensure there is heat stress training for employees. All employees shall receive compensation at the regular rate at which the employee is employed for any period required under the Worker Heat Protection Standard, such as periods for rest, breaks, medical removal protection and training. For the first five years after the Worker Heat Protection Standard is implemented, the Minister shall annually present a report to the Legislature detailing illness and mortality figures relating to heat stress and the Ministry’s enforcement activities, with respect to the Worker Heat Protection Standard.

SCHEDULE 2
ONTARIO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE ACT, 2026

The Schedule enacts the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2026. The Act provides that the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks or such other member of the Executive Council as may be assigned the administration of this Act under the Executive Council Act shall develop and publish a strategic action plan that aims to ensure that Ontario citizens, communities, infrastructure and natural environment are protected from the risks and impacts of climate change. The Act also requires the Minister to establish an arm’s length Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund to support the implementation of adaptation and resilience activities included in the strategic action plan. The Minister is also required to establish the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre. The Lieutenant Governor in Council is required to establish a Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat that, among other things, will co-ordinate and assist with the implementation of science-aligned climate adaptation plans for all government ministries and agencies, including formulating and implementing policy, legislation and regulations.

SCHEDULE 3
PROTECTING ONTARIO FROM URBAN WILDFIRES ACT, 2026

The Schedule enacts the Protecting Ontario from Urban Wildfires Act, 2026. The Act provides that the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks shall, no later than 90 days after the day the Act comes into force, establish an Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee. The Committee shall assess the growing risk of urban wildfires, both in terms of scale and expected timelines for when increased levels of risk will be reached. The Committee shall also develop recommendations for preventing, suppressing and recovering from urban wildfires and protecting the population from urban wildfires. Within one year of being established, the Committee shall report its assessment and recommendations to the Legislative Assembly. Based on the Committee’s assessment and recommendations, the Minister shall, along with other members of the Executive Council assigned by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, develop plans, and any legislation necessary for implementing those plans, related to protecting Ontario from urban wildfires and shall develop protocols for co-operation between urban and forest wildfire management and suppression forces.

Bill 130 2026

An Act to enact the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2026 and the Protecting Ontario from Urban Wildfires Act, 2026 and to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to Heat Stress

CONTENTS

 

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Contents of this Act

1 This Act consists of this section, sections 2 and 3 and the Schedules to this Act.

Commencement

2 (1)  Except as otherwise provided in this section, this Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

(2)  The Schedules to this Act come into force as provided in each Schedule.

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is the Adapting to a Hotter Ontario Act, 2026.

SCHEDULE 1
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT

Preamble

As the changing climate increases air temperatures, workers are increasingly exposed to conditions that threaten their health and even their lives. This is true for educators, mechanics, agricultural employees, workers in manufacturing and other workers throughout the workforce. Workers who were previously working in conditions at the limit of their tolerance or who were working in conditions that were relatively benign are now facing unprecedented challenges. They need protection in a way not previously necessary, they need it consistently and they need it now. The Schedule sets the framework for the protection of these workers throughout our whole society.

1 The Occupational Health and Safety Act is amended by adding the following Part:

PART IV.1
HEAT STRESS

Worker Heat Protection Standard

42.1  (1)  The Minister shall develop and implement a Worker Heat Protection Standard that includes the following:

   1.  Requirements to eliminate hazardous levels of heat stress through engineering controls such as isolating or shielding employees from sources of heat, exhaust ventilation, insulation of hot surfaces and climate control technologies, as well as technology-based standards that encourage the development of such controls.

   2.  Requirements to limit exposure to hazardous levels of heat stress by using the hierarchy of controls, which may include the adjustment of work procedures, work schedules or other work practices.

   3.  Requirements to provide, at the employer’s expense, mandatory paid cool-down breaks, shade, acclimatization for new and returning workers and personal protective equipment, such as water-cooled garments, air-cooled garments, heat-reflective clothing and cooling vests.

   4.  Requirements for every employer to develop and implement a Heat Stress and Protection Policy and Program, in consultation with and considering any recommendations from any relevant health and safety representative or committee, and to review the policy and program as often as necessary and no less than once every 12 months.

   5.  Requirements for every employer to conduct a heat stress assessment as often as necessary and no less often than the prescribed frequency, if any, to determine if a worker is or may be exposed to thermal conditions likely to cause heat stress.

   6.  Requirements for every employer to provide the relevant health and safety representative or committee with the results of every heat stress assessment.

   7.  Requirements for every employer to provide workers with access to cool drinking water or an adequate alternative hydrating fluid close to every work area.

Implementation

(2)  The Worker Heat Protection Standard shall be implemented no later than 12 months after the day this section comes into force.

Same

(3)  In developing, implementing and updating the Worker Heat Protection Standard, the Ministry shall consult with Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers and the Ontario Federation of Labour.

Updates

(4)  The Worker Heat Protection Standard shall be updated as often as is necessary and no less than once every 12 months.

Publication

(5)  The Worker Heat Protection Standard shall be published on a website of the Government of Ontario.

Required contents

(6)  The Worker Heat Protection Standard shall include requirements for training approved by the Chief Prevention Officer for employees and supervisors in topics reasonable or necessary for the purpose of protecting employees from heat stress, including,

  (a)  training employees in signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, emergency response procedures and their rights under this Part; and

  (b)  training supervisors in,

         (i)  monitoring and reporting heat conditions and environmental forecasts,

        (ii)  recognizing signs of heat-related illness, and

        (iii)  protocols for responding to likely heat-related illness.

Mandatory training standard

42.2  (1)  In addition to the training required under section 42.1, every employer shall ensure the relevant health and safety representative and every committee member receives training on heat stress in accordance with subsection (2) of this section.

Contents of training

(2)  The training referred to in subsection (1) shall include the following:

   1.  Occupational health and safety law related to heat stress.

   2.  Prescribed best practices for controlling exposure to heat stress.

   3.  Prescribed learning objectives.

Approval under s. 7.1 and 7.2

(3)  The training referred to in subsection (1) must be approved under section 7.1 and the training must be provided by a provider approved under section 7.2.

Protection of pay

42.3  An employee shall receive compensation at the regular rate at which the employee is employed for any period required under the Worker Heat Protection Standard, such as periods for rest, breaks, medical removal protection and training.

Language access

42.4  Any training, poster, label, hazard alert or written plan required under the Worker Heat Protection Standard shall be provided in plain language in English and French, as well as in another language understood by the employees if such is not English or French, and prepared appropriately for the vocabulary, educational level and literacy of the employees.

Maintaining protection

42.5  Nothing in the Worker Heat Protection Standard may reduce the protection afforded to employees by an existing worker heat protection standard.

Report to Legislature

42.6  For the first five years after the Worker Heat Protection Standard is implemented, the Minister shall annually present a report to the Legislature detailing,

  (a)  illness and mortality figures relating to heat stress; and

  (b)  the Ministry’s enforcement activities with respect to the Worker Heat Protection Standard.

Commencement

2 This Schedule comes into force 12 months after the day the Adapting to a Hotter Ontario Act, 2026 receives Royal Assent.

SCHEDULE 2
ONTARIO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE ACT, 2026

CONTENTS

 

Preamble

Every day brings new reports of storms, floods, heat waves, droughts and wildfires that are unprecedented in scale and intensity and that are clearly attributable to climate change. Slower-onset effects are also obvious: changing seasons and rainfall patterns, disappearing snowpack, warmer lakes and rivers, more frequent freeze-thaw cycles, expanding pest populations and worsening air quality. As the Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment shows, there are growing impacts in every region and sector that threaten our health and security, our homes, our forests and wildlife, our electricity network, our roads and our water supply.

While our government must act decisively to reduce the carbon emissions that are the root cause of these catastrophic events, it is also our responsibility to protect our citizens and safeguard our communities and natural ecosystems from the effects of these events now and in the future. We do this through comprehensive, transparent and collaborative adaptation planning and implementation, prioritizing the protection of our most vulnerable citizens and ecosystems.

Definitions

1 In this Act,

“adaptation” means actions taken to understand and reduce the negative effects of climate change on people, communities and nature; (“adaptation”)

“Minister” means the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks or such other member of the Executive Council as may be assigned the administration of this Act under the Executive Council Act; (“ministre”)

“resilience” means the capacity to prepare for, withstand and recover from disruptive patterns and events. (“résilience”)

Appropriation required

2 The following provisions do not apply unless money has been appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of those provisions:

   1.  Section 4.

   2.  Subparagraph 1 vi of section 9.

   3.  Paragraph 9 of section 9.

   4.  Paragraph 4 of section 10.

   5.  Paragraph 5 of section 12.

   6.  Paragraph 6 of section 14.

   7.  Paragraph 8 of section 14.

   8.  Paragraph 6 of section 15.

   9.  Paragraph 7 of section 15.

Strategic action plan

3 (1)  On or before the day that is two years after the day this section comes into force, the Minister shall develop and publish a strategic action plan that aims to ensure that Ontario’s citizens, communities, infrastructure and natural environment are protected from the risks and impacts of climate change, including floods, intense storms, extreme heat, droughts and wildfires, as well as more slowly developing climate hazards.

Same

(2)  In developing the strategic action plan, the Minister shall,

  (a)  draw on reports concerning climate change adaptation prepared for the Government of Ontario, including the Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment – Adaptation Best Practices Report and reports prepared by the former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, the Auditor General and the Advisory Panel on Climate Change; and

  (b)  conduct an open and intensive process of engagement and consultation with Indigenous partners, municipal and regional governments, Conservation Authorities, existing Ontario adaptation institutes and experts, public health agencies, labour organizations and community-based and non-governmental organizations.

Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund

4 (1)  On or before the day that is two years after the day this section comes into force, the Minister shall establish an arm’s length Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund to support the implementation of adaptation and resilience activities included in the strategic action plan developed and published under section 3.

Functions

(2)  The Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund shall carry out the following functions:

   1.  The Fund shall dispense public funds independently of the government and shall be accountable to the Legislative Assembly for its operations and decisions.

   2.  The Fund shall provide financial support to the strategic action plan through direct financing of adaptation and resilience activities and through the administrative and financial backing of innovative adaptation funding initiatives such as green revolving funds.

Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre

5 (1)  On or before the day that is one year after the day this section comes into force, the Minister shall establish the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre to perform the following functions:

   1.  Collaborate with existing climate change adaptation institutes and resource centres in Ontario to provide a comprehensive source of information on climate change impacts, adaptation and resilience for provincial actors including government ministries, municipalities, concerned sectoral and non-governmental organizations and the public.

   2.  Create one-window access to,

          i.  regional and local climate and hydrological data, and

          ii.  monitoring of regional climate change impacts and adaptation strategies for Ontario communities and sectors.

   3.  Aid in the practical application of research knowledge by providing synthesis, interpretation and translation of scientific information for stakeholders and the public.

   4.  Revive the initiative for an Ontario Association of Adaptation Practitioners to support collaboration among adaptation researchers and practitioners in government, academia, existing adaptation institutes, conservation authorities, municipalities and non-governmental organizations in the province.

   5.  Host communities of practice that share information and strategies on adaptation action in specific sectors, regions or communities.

   6.  Assist governments and government departments with adaptation planning and solutions by undertaking risk and opportunity assessments, conducting demonstration and pilot projects and providing direct programming, such as the provision of planning and delivery of services, to those communities with limited capacity and resources to address climate risks on their own.

   7.  Assist with capacity building, engagement and public awareness, including by undertaking case studies, training, workshops, webinars and tutorials for adaptation planning.

   8.  Advise the Government of Ontario, municipal governments, business associations and other associations on adaptation policies, regulations, investments and incentives that can increase climate resilience.

   9.  Evaluate and report annually to the Legislative Assembly on adaptation progress in the province.

Annual report

(2)  Annual reporting under paragraph 9 of subsection (1) shall occur no later than April 30 in each year.

Ontario Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat

6 (1)  The Lieutenant Governor in Council shall establish a Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat.

Functions

(2)  The Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat shall perform the following functions:

   1.  Co-ordinating and assisting with the implementation of science-aligned climate adaptation plans for all government ministries and agencies, including formulating and implementing policy, legislation and regulations as required.

   2.  Engaging and consulting with the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Centre, including by drawing on the climate adaptation expertise available from the Centre.

   3.  Performing research as needed to advance co-ordination of adaptation plans.

   4.  Reporting annually to the Legislative Assembly on the progress of all government ministry and agency adaptation plans.

   5.  Engaging and consulting with relevant federal and municipal climate adaptation bodies.

   6.  Engaging and consulting with external experts, including those from civil society and Indigenous communities.

Annual report

(3)  Annual reporting under paragraph 4 of subsection (2) shall occur no later than April 30 in each year.

Review of strategic action plan

7 (1)  On or before the day that is four years after the day this section comes into force, and every two years thereafter, the Legislative Assembly shall review the strategic action plan developed under section 3 and make any changes to the plan that it considers necessary to ensure that the plan best meets its stated aims.

Publication of strategic action plan

(2)  The Minister shall ensure that the strategic action plan and any amended plan are published on a website of the Government of Ontario.

Contents of strategic action plan

8 The strategic action plan shall include the following:

   1.  Acknowledgement of key risks to Ontarians caused by the impacts of climate change, as illustrated by the Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment dated January 2023.

   2.  Identification of communities and populations that are particularly vulnerable to the risks acknowledged under paragraph 1, including Indigenous communities, seniors and low-income communities.

   3.  Expansion and enhancement of flood management and protection programs, including through the measures set out in section 9.

   4.  Improvement of extreme heat preparedness and resilience, including through the measures set out in section 10.

   5.  Measures to provide protection from the impacts of intense storms and extreme weather, including the measures set out in section 11.

   6.  Measures to provide protection from wildfires, including the measures set out in section 12.

   7.  Measures to increase the resilience of infrastructure such as housing, public buildings, stormwater and wastewater systems and energy and transportation infrastructure, including the measures set out in section 13.

   8.  Measures to increase the resilience of agriculture and enhancing food security, including the measures set out in section 14.

   9.  Measures to strengthen the resilience of the natural environment and ecosystems, including the measures set out in section 15.

10.  Establishment of an Ontario Youth Climate Corps to give young Ontarians the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in activities such as the following while receiving a fair wage and assistance with the costs of post-secondary education:

          i.  Restoring and enhancing Ontario’s natural landscape.

          ii.  Reducing the risk of wildland fires.

         iii.  Providing resilient home retrofits in vulnerable communities.

Flood management and protection programs

9 (1)  The measures referred to in paragraph 3 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  The Minister reporting annually to the Legislative Assembly on the implementation of commitments set out in Ontario’s flooding strategy, including,

          i.  the work of the Multi-agency Flood Mapping Technical Team,

          ii.  the work of the Urban Flooding Working Group,

         iii.  enhanced flood forecasting and early warning,

         iv.  enhanced emergency response activities,

         v.  disaster recovery assistance, and

         vi.  funding for flood risk reduction.

   2.  Prioritization of the work of the intra-governmental working group on urban flooding and requiring that the working group provide a report and strategy to the Legislative Assembly no later than December 1 in the year following the year in which this section comes into force.

   3.  Expanding support for conservation authorities, municipalities and Indigenous authorities to prepare or update fluvial and pluvial flood risk maps, prioritizing areas of the province where these maps are currently lacking and which are determined to be at significant risk of flooding based on historical data and experience and projections for the future.

   4.  Making flood-risk maps and property-level flood risk information, including information on historic and projected flood damage, available to the public on a user-friendly online portal that can be accessed free of charge.

   5.  Implementing recommendations from Ontario’s Wetland Conservation Strategy, including programs to identify, protect, restore and create wetlands and to protect shorelines and upland forests that reduce the impacts of intense precipitation and help control flooding.

   6.  Completing and issuing Ontario’s Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Guidance Manual no later than December 1 in the year following the year in which this section comes into force.

   7.  Adopting nationally-recognized best practices in current CSA standards for flood resilience and risk reduction, including CSA W204 (Flood Resilient Design of New Residential Communities), CSA Z800 (Guidelines on Basement Flood Protection and Risk Reduction), CSA W210 (Prioritization of Flood Risk in Existing Communities), CSA W211 (Management Standard for Stormwater Systems), CSA W200 (Design of Bioretention Systems), CSA W201 (Construction of Bioretention Systems) and CSA PLUS 4013:19 (Technical Guide: Development, Interpretation and Use of Rainfall Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) Information: Guideline for Canadian Water Resources Practitioners).

   8.  Providing funding for municipal grants and incentives for homeowners to install flood protection measures in areas at higher risk of flooding.

   9.  Working with the federal government to designate areas at highest risk of flooding as federal flood hazard areas in order to prioritize infrastructure and relocation investments for homes at high risk of flooding.

10.  Requiring new developments or redevelopment projects to capture and infiltrate the first 1 or 1.5 inches of rain from any impervious portion of the development site.

11.  Conducting a province-wide information campaign on home flood protection, as recommended by the Advisory Panel on Climate Change in its 2021 report.

12.  Ensuring flood forecasting and alert systems are in place across the province and that they provide sufficient notice for the deployment of flood protection measures in case of a flood emergency.

Annual report

(2)  Annual reporting under paragraph 1 of subsection (1) shall occur no later than April 30 in each year.

Extreme heat preparedness and resilience

10 The measures referred to in paragraph 4 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  Conducting extreme heat risk mapping to identify vulnerable areas and occupational populations at elevated risk from extreme heat events.

   2.  Developing and implementing a system for identifying and publishing timely data on heat-related deaths and illnesses in the province, including those that occur at work or as a result of work-related heat stress.

   3.  Requiring that official plans incorporate strategies to assess and reduce urban heat islands.

   4.  Providing funding for municipalities to plan and implement urban cooling strategies, including cool and green roofs, cool pavements and parking lots, green corridors, shade structures and, in nature-deprived areas, expanded tree canopies, green spaces and parks.

   5.  Assessing the need for cooling in schools, childcare centres, hospitals and other publicly funded institutions that accommodate large numbers of people indoors and developing a strategy with clear targets and deadlines for reducing heat loads and providing cooling during extreme heat events.

   6.  Setting a maximum temperature requirement for rental units and employer-provided housing of 26 degrees Celsius.

   7.  Providing to the owners of rental properties that currently lack cooling systems grants and incentives for retrofits, including heat pumps for individual units, that reduce heat loads or provide cooling and allow compliance with the maximum temperature requirement referred to in paragraph 6.

   8.  Conducting an annual province-wide awareness campaign about the risks of extreme heat and ways to stay safe, using messaging modes most likely to reach people at elevated risk.

   9.  Passing and enforcing regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to protect workers whose jobs expose them to hot conditions, such as jobs in roofing, road paving, agriculture, commercial kitchens, foundries and smelters, with proactive inspections, anti-reprisal protections, accessible third-party complaint mechanisms and meaningful penalties for non-compliance.

Protection from impacts of intense storms and extreme weather

11 The measures referred to in paragraph 5 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  Providing support for investigations into the incidence and intensity of thunderstorms and associated winds, tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms, freezing rain and hail in Ontario as climate change increases, and for organizations which undertake such investigations, such as the Northern Tornadoes and Northern Hail projects and the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory.

   2.  Assessing and improving the system for issuing timely severe weather warnings and alerts for Ontario in order to ensure that vulnerable populations receive alerts, pre-evacuation notices and other important information.

Protection from wildfires

12 The measures referred to in paragraph 6 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  Assessing Ontario’s increased susceptibility to wildland fires in light of recent fire seasons and factors such as increasing pest infestations, identifying communities and regions at particular risk and providing a report by the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to the Legislative Assembly no later than December 1 in the year following the year in which this section comes into force.

   2.  Amending the Wildland Fire Management Act and the regulations made under that Act to extend the fire season in recognition of wildland fires occurring earlier than April 1 and ending later than October 31 each year.

   3.  Expanding to a year-round operational model for wildland fire management, with a permanent workforce that is recruited, trained and paid at a level consistent with the skills and knowledge required for the work and the dangers encountered in performing the work.

   4.  Making available standards for municipalities in Ontario’s fire region to use in preparing Wildland Fire Management Plans, as required under the Wildland Fire Management Act, and requiring municipalities to make these plans publicly available.

   5.  Assessing and developing a program to improve the retention of experienced fire rangers and crew leaders.

   6.  Funding community-level FireSmart programs for communities in the wildland-urban interface to reduce the risk and impacts of wildland fires.

   7.  Reinstating environmental assessment and requiring climate change impact assessment of logging and timber management to ensure that forestry industry practices do not increase the risk of wildland fires.

   8.  Incentivizing, in accordance with the regulations, more active forms of forest management, including tree thinning, deadwood removal and burning practices, to promote healthy and resilient forests that help reduce wildland fire fuels and prevent wildland fire propagation.

   9.  Modifying reforestation requirements after logging and guidelines to encourage regenerative forestry and more diverse, resilient and ecologically functional forest landscapes.

10.  Developing a strategy for remediation of areas of forest burned by wildland fires to ensure their return to being productive ecosystems.

Resilience of infrastructure

13 (1)  The measures referred to in paragraph 7 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  Developing guidelines on incorporating climate change into risk management and asset planning, building on guides and standards already available in Canada, including adaptation guides prepared by the National Research Council’s Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure programs, CSA Standards for durability in buildings, bridge design and wastewater treatment plants and the Canadian Electricity Association’s climate adaptation guide.

   2.  Implementing regulatory obligations on operators of critical infrastructure, including energy and utilities, communications, transportation, water and stormwater, to incorporate and disclose climate change risks in their strategic and operational plans.

   3.  Requiring that infrastructure planning and design factor in climate change scenarios for all major repairs, replacements or new infrastructure in the province, including,

          i.  electricity generation, transmission and distribution,

          ii.  roads, bridges and culverts,

         iii.  ports infrastructure,

         iv.  stormwater management, and

         v.  any other category of infrastructure identified by the Minister.

   4.  Updating the Building Code on an urgent basis to incorporate climate change resiliency requirements that take more severe climate conditions and events into account and ensure new buildings and buildings undergoing major retrofits can better withstand severe winds, heavy rainfall, snow loads and wildland fires.

   5.  Requiring annual reports from the Ontario Critical Infrastructure Assurance Program that include,

          i.  the makeup of sector working groups,

          ii.  assessment of sector vulnerabilities related to climate change,

         iii.  assessment of the risk of cascading failures due to climate-related events,

         iv.  recommendations to decrease vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and

         v.  progress reports on the implementation of agreements and procedures to ensure the resilience of Ontario’s infrastructure with respect to the impacts of climate change.

   6.  Developing, implementing and requiring adherence to procedures to recover from infrastructure failures after extreme weather events.

Annual report

(2)  Annual reporting under paragraph 5 of subsection (1) shall occur no later than April 30 in each year.

Agriculture and food security

14 The measures referred to in paragraph 8 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  Committing to and prioritizing the protection of prime agricultural land from urban expansion in land use planning and policy.

   2.  Reporting annually on progress on implementing commitments in the Guelph Statement and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

   3.  Revising Grow Ontario to incorporate the following:

          i.  Consideration of climate impacts and adaptation in Ontario agriculture.

          ii.  Development of a strategy to increase production and consumption of food grown and prepared in Ontario by 30 per cent by 2032, in order to reduce dependence on imports, and development of monitoring systems to track progress.

         iii.  Increased support for smaller-scale producers and horticultural production for local consumption, including investments in local markets, regional food hubs for storage and local distribution and appropriately-scaled localized processing facilities.

         iv.  The goals of the Guelph Statement and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

   4.  Developing a strategy to identify, invest in and monitor the implementation of on-farm climate change adaptation practices identified in Environmental Farm Plans, including through the following:

          i.  Protection of livestock from extreme heat and other adverse weather events.

          ii.  Diversification of crops and the selection of varieties of crops that are drought-tolerant and pest-resistant.

         iii.  Conversion of high-risk field areas to perennial crops, pasture or conservation buffers.

         iv.  Protection of existing, and creation of new,

                A.  windbreaks,

                B.  buffer strips, and

               C.  natural landscape elements such as wetlands, riparian buffers and forested areas.

         v.  Protection of infrastructure in flood-prone areas.

   5.  Expanding Environmental Farm Plans to include climate change-based risk assessment support.

   6.  Reactivating and updating Ontario’s Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy and Soil Health Working Group to guide collaborative soil health research, investments and activities to ensure the climate resilience of agricultural soils in the province and to provide funding for farmer-led soil health and conservation organizations.

   7.  Supporting research into crop varieties resilient to extreme heat and drought, occasional flooding and pests that are increasingly present in Ontario as effects of climate change increase.

   8.  Incentivizing the development and expansion of regional and on-farm water storage, expansion of irrigation systems and capacity, expansion of pumping capacity to help with increasing incidence of drought and conversion of tile drainage systems to control tile drainage and maintain soil moisture in dry periods.

   9.  Reviving the Water Resource Adaptation and Management Initiative in order to fund demonstration and pilot projects to help Ontario farmers better prepare for droughts and adapt their water use practices to deal with the growing impacts of climate change.

10.  Investigating the potential for agriculture-specific local weather forecasting to aid in day-to-day field activity planning, preparing for severe weather and, with medium-term and longer-term forecasts, to help with other planning.

Resilience of the natural environment and ecosystems

15 The measures referred to in paragraph 9 of section 8 are the following:

   1.  Providing an action plan for the implementation of Naturally Resilient – MNRF’s Natural Resource Climate Adaptation Strategy (2017-2021).

   2.  Investing in improved technology to identify and map Ontario’s natural assets and prepare a public inventory and assessment of the current condition of Ontario’s natural infrastructure.

   3.  Developing a program to maintain, promote and enhance ecosystem connectivity and for the protection and management of climate refugia for species threatened by climate change.

   4.  Providing a plan to conserve peatlands and other carbon-dense ecosystems as globally important ecosystems.

   5.  Providing guidance and resources for conservation authorities and municipalities to,

          i.  inventory natural assets such as wetlands, forests, meadows, parks, soils, urban trees and naturalized stormwater ponds,

          ii.  assess the condition of these natural assets, and

         iii.  implement a plan to increase and integrate such assets into infrastructure asset management.

   6.  Reinstating provincial funding for the planting of native trees, shrubs and other vegetation on public and private lands in southern and central Ontario, with a focus on lowland and wetland sites and along roadsides in southern Ontario.

   7.  Restoring the mandate, powers and watershed-based structure of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities, as they existed before 2019, and providing funding adequate to their core mandate of,

          i.  ensuring the conservation, restoration and responsible management of Ontario’s water, land and natural habitats,

          ii.  safeguarding our watersheds,

         iii.  protecting people and property from flooding and other natural hazards, and

         iv.  protecting our drinking water.

Regulations

16 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

  (a)  defining terms for the purposes of paragraph 8 of section 12;

  (b)  establishing an incentivization scheme for the purposes of paragraph 8 of section 12.

Commencement

17 The Act set out in this Schedule comes into force on the day the Adapting to a Hotter Ontario Act, 2026 receives Royal Assent.

Short title

18 The short title of the Act set out in this Schedule is the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2026.

SCHEDULE 3
PROTECTING ONTARIO FROM URBAN WILDFIRES ACT, 2026

Preamble

Major fires in Los Angeles, Jasper and Fort McMurray, a near miss in London, England and wildfires in New York City parks have all made it clear that, in a world that is getting hotter at an increasing rate, we risk confronting urban wildfires in Ontario in a way not seen in the past century. Our plans for responding to potential urban wildfires should use a 2 degree Celsius increase in average global temperatures above pre-industrial temperatures within the next 15 years as the baseline for understanding the new conditions we will face.

Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee

1 (1)  The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks shall, no later than 90 days after the day this section comes into force, establish an Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee.

Composition

(2)  The Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee shall be composed of members appointed by the Minister in accordance with subsection (3).

Same

(3)  The Minister shall ensure that the Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee includes members of the following groups:

   1.  Climate scientists.

   2.  Wildland fire scientists.

   3.  Forest hydrologists.

   4.  The Office of the Fire Marshal.

   5.  Firefighter management and unions representing firefighters.

   6.  Environmental non-governmental organizations.

   7.  Authorities responsible for emergency management and civil protection.

   8.  Conservation Authorities.

   9.  Specialists in the fields of disaster prevention and emergency management and recovery.

10.  Representatives of municipal umbrella organizations, such as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities.

11.  First Nations representatives who can bring First Nations fire management knowledge and fire evacuation experience.

Remuneration and expenses

(4)  The Lieutenant Governor in Council may determine the remuneration and expenses of any person appointed under subsection (2).

Appropriation required

(5)  Subsection (4) does not apply unless money has been appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of that subsection.

Functions

2 (1)  The Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee shall,

  (a)  assess the growing risk of urban wildfires, both in terms of scale and expected timelines for when increased levels of risk will be reached; and

  (b)  develop recommendations for preventing, suppressing and recovering from urban wildfires and protecting the population from urban wildfires.

Report

(2)  On or before the day that is one year after the day the Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee is established, the Committee shall report its assessment and recommendations to the Legislative Assembly.

Plans

3 (1)  Based on the assessment and recommendations reported under subsection 2 (2), the Minister shall, on or before the day that is one year after the day the assessment and recommendations are reported under subsection 2 (2), along with other members of the Executive Council assigned by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, develop plans, and any legislation necessary for implementing those plans, that do the following:

   1.  Include any necessary changes to the following to allow for the effective prevention, suppression and recovery from urban wildfires and effective protection of the population from urban wildfires:

          i.  Regulations, including the Building Code and zoning and urban planning regulations.

          ii.  Legislation, including the City of Toronto Act, 2006, the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Wildland Fire Management Act.

         iii.  Firefighting infrastructure.

         iv.  Emergency relief facilities and protocols for evacuation.

         v.  Requirements for the updating of municipal emergency response plans.

         vi.  Standard assessments of fire risk from forest types and from the wildland-urban interface.

   2.  Ensure the development of urban firefighting resources under the direction of the Government of Ontario to provide assistance to and training for existing urban firefighters.

   3.  Undertake the development of educational programs for urban dwellers in large and small municipalities regarding urban wildfire prevention and steps that individuals can take to reduce the risk they face.

Report re costs

(2)  The Minister shall report to the Legislative Assembly, no later than December 1 in the year following the year in which this section comes into force, the Minister’s opinion regarding the amount of costs that should be covered by the Government of Ontario to deliver these programs and to assist municipalities in delivering these programs.

Protocols

(3)  The Minister, along with other members of the Executive Council referred to in subsection (1), shall develop protocols for co-operation between urban and forest wildfire management and suppression forces.

Commencement

4 The Act set out in this Schedule comes into force on the day the Adapting to a Hotter Ontario Act, 2026 receives Royal Assent.

Short title

5 The short title of the Act set out in this Schedule is the Protecting Ontario from Urban Wildfires Act, 2026.