Provincial Press Release

The Ontario government is keeping costs down for drivers by introducing legislation that would, if passed, ban tolls on provincial highways. This ban would apply to the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway once uploaded to the province, as well as the province’s 400-series highways.

The Ontario government is keeping costs down for people by introducing legislation that, if passed, would give Ontario voters a direct say over a new provincial carbon tax, cap-and-trade system or other carbon pricing program. This proposed legislation would protect people and businesses from the high cost of a provincial carbon tax by requiring the government to first obtain the consent of Ontario voters through a referendum before implementing a new provincial carbon pricing program.

Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, alongside the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, announced a new $3.1 billion agreement to improve health care in Ontario. This investment will help increase access to family doctors, reduce wait times, hire more health care workers, and ensure faster care for Canadians, including mental health care.

As the province celebrates Black History Month, the Ontario government is introducing new mandatory learning in Grades 7, 8 and 10 history on the exceptional contributions and history of Black Canadians who helped build Canada.

The Ontario government is investing $110 million to connect up to 328,000 people to primary care teams, bringing the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care.

The Ontario government is investing $5.5 million to create three new Behavioural Specialized Units (BSUs) at long-term care homes in Brampton, Etobicoke, and Timmins, as well as increasing funding to all 21 specialized units across the province. These additional specialized beds are a part of the Your Health plan to connect individuals with complex care needs like dementia to care in the comfort of a home instead of a hospital.

The Ontario government, in partnership with Ontario Health, has approved the West Parry Sound Ontario Health Team, bringing the total number of teams to 58 and marking an important milestone in achieving full provincial coverage. Working together, these Ontario Health Teams break down barriers for people connecting to care by ensuring a seamless transition from one provider to another, with one patient record and one care plan being shared between their providers.

The Ontario government is taking continued action to emphasize back-to-basics learning by introducing mandatory learning through clear and direct instruction in reading, writing and math for kindergarten students. Combined with hands-on and play-based learning, this new kindergarten curriculum will ensure students entering Grade 1 across the province have the foundational skills in literacy and math and intellectual growth that will help set them up for long-term success.

As part of the next steps to implement Your Health, a plan for connected and convenient care, the Ontario government is proposing regulatory changes that, would name Accreditation Canada as the inspection body responsible for ensuring the highest quality standards and strong oversight of the 900+ current and all future community surgical and diagnostic centres, effective April 1, 2024.

The Ontario government has created a new Investigations Unit to ensure every long-term care resident lives with dignity and experiences the quality of care they deserve. Supported by an investment of $72.3 million, the new 10-person unit will be an effective deterrent and tool when escalated enforcement is needed to improve compliance and ensure resident safety.