Summary#
Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026, would enact two new laws and amend 21 existing Ontario laws. Its stated goals are to speed approvals, cut red tape, strengthen competitiveness and support labour mobility; those are goals, not guaranteed results. Several changes would start at different times, and some require regulations or a later order to take effect.
- It would create a special environmental assessment process for a 68-kilometre Highway 69 expansion, while exempting the project and some related activities from other environmental assessment and public-notice rules.
- It would repeal several parts of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993, including processes for applications for review, investigations and environmental protection actions.
- It would change archaeological rules: some exploratory work could proceed by registration, while other work would need the Minister’s authorization. It would add enforcement powers and raise maximum fines.
- It would give the Minister powers to direct the Ontario Energy Board on electricity distributor capital plans and protections for unit sub-meter customers. Regulations could also require procurement and give Ontario or Canadian goods and services preference, with costs potentially recoverable through electricity rates.
- It would let the Minister order information about underground infrastructure, with administrative penalties of up to $500,000 for non-compliance.
- It would transfer responsibility for the regional transportation plan from Metrolinx to the Minister. Other changes include new roadside controls near highways, limits on some planning appeals, and rules to ease out-of-province certification in regulated occupations.
What it means for you#
- People near the Highway 69 project: The Minister must prepare an Indigenous consultation plan and draft and final environmental study reports, and provide opportunities to comment. Some early work—including specified tree clearing, access roads, bridge construction and land remediation—may proceed before that process is complete and does not have to be covered in those reports. The project must otherwise follow the final report and any final addenda, subject to exceptions.
- People using environmental review processes: The bill would remove several existing routes to request reviews or investigations, or bring environmental protection actions, under the Environmental Bill of Rights. It would also change when some proposals need public notice and comment. It does not set a minimum comment period; ministers must consider factors including public interest, time needed to comment and the interest in resolving matters promptly.
- Property owners, developers and people doing archaeological work: The bill would create registration and authorization routes, but the Minister could set key rules and conditions. Some specified undertakings may be exempt from archaeological assessment requirements. A registration or authorization does not itself give permission to enter someone else’s property.
- Electricity customers: The Board may be directed to address unit sub-meter customer protections, including billing, late charges and disconnection practices. Those protections depend on directives and Board action; the bill does not itself set the specific rules. Regulations may require some customers, or classes of customers, to pay certain distributor costs.
- Underground infrastructure owners and operators: They must provide information when ordered by the Minister; some people or entities may also have to provide prescribed information on set timelines. The bill does not identify all affected owners or operators.
- Workers, businesses and others: The bill would limit certain extra requirements for out-of-province professionals seeking certification. It would also replace some permits or distributor registrations with registration, remove some permit requirements, and restrict appeals on certain plan parts referred to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Money#
No publicly available information on the estimated public cost.
- The bill requires the Minister to prepare reports and consultation plans, and to establish and operate electronic systems for archaeological processes. It gives no staffing or cost estimates.
- Required or voluntary electricity procurement costs may be recorded for possible recovery through rates, subject to Board decisions and regulations.
- Non-compliance with underground-information requirements could lead to administrative penalties of up to $500,000. The bill does not estimate penalty revenue or enforcement costs.
- The bill changes registration and permit rules, but the materials do not provide expected fee, business-cost or savings effects. It does not change tax rates in the provisions supplied.
What is unclear#
- What regulations will define exceptions, required information, processes, fees, penalties and other key details—and when will provisions that need later orders or regulations take effect?
- What consultation period will be used for the Highway 69 reports, and how will Indigenous concerns or commitments affect project decisions? The bill also allows some early works to proceed outside that report process.
- Which environmental proposals will lose notice or comment requirements, and what will replace the repealed review, investigation and environmental protection processes?
- Which infrastructure owners must supply information, how much work will this require, and how will the information be protected in practice?
- What specific electricity customer protections, procurement requirements and cost-recovery rules will be adopted?
Case for#
- The bill appears intended to reduce delays and duplicate steps in infrastructure and business processes. A project-specific assessment process could give the Highway 69 expansion a defined route while still requiring reports and public and Indigenous comment.
- A central source of underground-infrastructure information could help government plan and deliver infrastructure projects.
- Board directives and procurement rules could be used to coordinate distributor planning, address sub-meter customer concerns and support Ontario or Canadian suppliers.
- Making out-of-province certification requirements more consistent could reduce unnecessary barriers for workers.
Case against#
- The Highway 69 project would be exempt from important parts of existing assessment and notice laws, and specified early works could start before the new assessment process is complete.
- Repealing environmental review, investigation and protection-action processes removes routes for the public to raise certain concerns. The bill does not set out replacement processes.
- Key safeguards and obligations depend on future regulations or ministerial decisions, while the bill provides limited detail on oversight and some appeal rights.
- The bill could impose costs on infrastructure owners, electricity distributors, ratepayers and government, but the available material gives no estimates. Some provisions also allow costs to be recovered or existing rights to be changed without compensation.