Other activities related to nonprofits
Bill 192, Protecting Small Business Act, was introduced on June 17 and received Royal Assent the next day – possibly setting a new record for fastest assent. Bill 192 amends the Commercial Tenancies Act to prevent certain evictions.
Bill 184, Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, received Royal Assent in July after four months of consideration. Bill 184 amends the Housing Services Act and the Residential Tenancies Act, among other pieces of legislation. The bill aims to modernize the community housing sector, to prevent unlawful residential evictions and ensure compensation when these evictions occur, and to enable landlords to implement rent increases for maintenance upgrades.
Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, received Royal Assent in July. According to the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), there is a need for ongoing consultation with nonprofit home care and community support service providers to ensure the development of appropriate regulations. Among other recommendations, OCSA had asked for “procurement guidelines for contracting services which include a preference for not-for-profit providers with a history of high-quality service,” details of which will be determined through regulation and policy. TVOntario has also published an analysis of the risk of privatization under Bill 175.
Bill 171, the Building Transit Faster Act, received Royal Assent in July. The bill seeks to remove barriers to accelerating construction on Toronto transit projects.
Bill 161, Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, received Royal Assent in July, seven months after its initial introduction. The bill modernizes almost 20 statutes related to the justice system.
Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, is now in force – meaning new fines for animal welfare activists and public interest journalists investigating and documenting suspected animal abuse in the food and farming industry.
Nurses picketed MPPs offices with calls to remedy the unequal impact of Bill 124 wage restraint legislation on women-dominated professions. (ONN’s position on Bill 124.)
In mid-June, the Ontario government reinstated reporting requirements under the Environmental Bill of Rights after suspending them in April.
There was a debate in the Legislature on Motion no. 89 to ensure the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act does not expire before proclamation later this year. The motion’s debate led to some detailed and passionate testimony (see here and here) on the importance of the nonprofit sector, the impact of the pandemic on local organizations, and the need for stabilization funding and insurance relief. ONN is grateful to all of the MPPs who stood to share stories of their local nonprofits.