Summary#
Bill 73, the Protecting Ontario from Urban Wildfires Act, 2025, would create a new Act; it does not amend existing Acts. Its stated goal is to prepare Ontario to prevent, fight and recover from urban wildfires. It uses a global temperature rise of 2°C above pre-industrial levels within 15 years as a planning baseline, but that is not a deadline or a guaranteed forecast.
- The Environment Minister must establish an Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee within 90 days after the Act comes into force. The committee must assess risk and recommend ways to prevent and suppress urban wildfires, recover from them and protect the public.
- The committee must include members from 11 listed groups: climate scientists; wildfire scientists; forest hydrologists; the Office of the Fire Marshal; firefighter management and firefighter unions; environmental non-governmental organizations; emergency management and civil protection authorities; conservation authorities; disaster prevention and emergency management and recovery specialists; municipal umbrella organizations; and First Nations representatives with fire-management knowledge and knowledge of fire evacuations.
- The committee must report to the Legislative Assembly within one year after it is established.
- Within one year after that report, the Minister and other ministers assigned by the Lieutenant Governor in Council must develop plans, and any legislation needed to carry them out. The plans must address possible changes to regulations, including the Building Code and zoning and planning rules; specified laws; firefighting infrastructure; emergency relief and evacuation; municipal emergency plans; and standard fire-risk assessments.
- The plans must also include developing Ontario-directed urban firefighting resources to assist and train existing urban firefighters, and educational programs for people in large and small municipalities. The Minister and assigned ministers must develop cooperation protocols between urban and forest wildfire forces.
What it means for you#
- Municipalities: The bill requires plans to address updates to municipal emergency response plans and assistance to municipalities with education programs. It does not set out those updates or programs now.
- Firefighters: Plans must include development of resources to assist and train existing urban firefighters. The bill does not establish a specific team, service or training program.
- Urban residents: Plans must include educational programs about prevention and steps individuals can take to reduce their risk. The bill does not directly change building or zoning rules, or create new evacuation requirements.
- First Nations: First Nations representatives with specified knowledge must be included on the committee. The bill does not explain how First Nations would be selected or involved beyond committee membership.
- The public: The bill creates planning and reporting duties, not an immediate new wildfire response service. Changes to laws or regulations would need to be developed later.
Money#
No cost estimate is available in the bill.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council may set committee members’ pay and expenses, but only if the Legislature has appropriated money for that purpose.
- The Minister must report the Minister’s opinion on how much Ontario should cover for the education programs and to assist municipalities. The bill does not appropriate that money or set an amount.
- The bill requires plans and firefighting resources to be developed but gives no cost estimate, staffing figure or funding source for them.
What is unclear#
- The bill does not define “urban wildfire” or set a method for measuring its risk.
- It does not specify how committee members will be chosen, how often the committee meets or what form its report must take.
- The required plans must address a wide range of topics, but the bill does not set standards for what the plans must recommend or how they would be put into effect.
- The bill does not say how future plans or legislation would interact with existing programs and responsibilities.
- It does not set out how much the proposed resources and programs would cost, or how they would be funded.
Case for#
- A possible argument for the bill is that it requires Ontario to assess urban-wildfire risks and make recommendations before setting out plans, rather than assuming one solution fits all.
- The committee must bring together scientific, firefighting, emergency-management, municipal and First Nations knowledge.
- The deadlines for the committee’s report and the government’s plans create a timetable for the work.
- Cooperation protocols and resources to assist and train existing urban firefighters could help address coordination and training as part of the planning work.
Case against#
- The bill requires studies and plans, but does not itself change building rules, municipal plans or emergency services. Any practical protections depend on later decisions and possibly further legislation.
- “Urban wildfire” is not defined, and the bill does not set clear criteria for assessing risk or judging whether proposed plans are adequate.
- The bill creates broad planning duties without specifying their cost, funding or staffing.
- Although First Nations representatives must be included, the bill does not explain how their participation would work or how their knowledge would shape decisions.