March 7th Weekly Update

Ontario Putting Public Colleges and Universities on Stable Footing Now and into the future

The Ontario government is creating a blue-ribbon panel of experts to provide advice and recommendations for keeping the postsecondary education sector financially stable and focused on providing the best student experience possible.

“Our postsecondary institutions and research institutes are important sources of job creation, skills training, research, innovation and commercialization, making them leading contributors to our overall economic growth,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “By launching a blue-ribbon panel, which will help inform actions Ontario can take to protect and grow our postsecondary education system, learners can continue to get the skills and education they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Over the coming months, the panel will conduct research and consultations with key stakeholders about the actions Ontario can take to improve the financial sustainability of the postsecondary sector, to support colleges and universities in developing a skilled workforce, and to promote economic growth and innovation. Their work will be guided by the following principles:

• Enhancing student experience and access
• Rewarding excellence and financial sustainability
• Improving labour market alignment
• Promoting economic growth and prosperity
• Keeping education affordable for lower and middle-income families

“Laying the groundwork for the financial sustainability of the postsecondary education sector will protect it for current and future students, ensuring they can continue to receive world-class education provided by Ontario’s postsecondary institutions,” added Minister Dunlop.

As part of their scope of work, the blue-ribbon panel will provide advice and recommendations to the Minister of Colleges and Universities on a long-term tuition-fee policy that considers access to and quality of the learning experience.

For the 2023-24 academic year, the province is continuing a general freeze on tuition fees for all domestic students, while providing colleges and universities the flexibility to increase tuition fees for domestic, out-of-province students by up to five per cent.

Firefighters die of cancer at a rate up to four times higher than the general population. On average, 50 to 60 firefighters die of cancer yearly in Canada, and half of those are from Ontario. Proposed changes by the government will streamline the assessment of WSIB claims by presuming they are work-related.

“Firefighters put service over self each day, ready to approach dangerous situations to protect their communities,” said Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General. “In recognition of their courage, we have a duty to enhance the safety, health, and wellness of our community heroes. By expanding WSIB coverage for firefighters to include thyroid and pancreatic cancers, we continue to promote better health outcomes, while honouring their service.”

Expanded coverage for claims related to thyroid and pancreatic cancers would be retroactive to January 1, 1960. These changes would apply to full-time, volunteer, and part-time firefighters, firefighters employed by First Nations band councils and fire investigators.

These regulatory amendments are part of a larger package that expands on the ground-breaking actions in the Working for Workers Acts, 2021 and 2022, which are already helping millions of people by introducing additional supports that embrace the future of work.

The Ontario government has introduced legislation to amend the Mining Act that will, if passed, attract more investment in the province’s mining sector while strengthening the made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chains for batteries, electric vehicles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and other advanced manufacturing technologies.

“It shouldn’t take 15 years to open a mine. This process is too time consuming and costly, leading to project delays and lost opportunities for Ontario’s mineral exploration and mining sector,” said George Pirie, Minister of Mines. “We need to get building. That’s why our government is introducing changes to the Mining Act to help attract more investment and secure the critical minerals that support the made-in-Ontario supply chain for new technologies like batteries and electric vehicles.”

If passed, the Building More Mines Act, 2023 would save mining companies time and money by:

• Advancing critical minerals projects by making it easier for companies to get a permit to recover minerals from mine tailings and waste – materials left behind after the targeted minerals are extracted
• Improving closure planning by having more qualified professionals available to certify plans and allowing companies to conditionally file a closure plan while deferring certain elements to a later date
• Allowing more flexibility in the techniques used to rehabilitate mines once they are closed, while upholding Ontario’s world-class environmental protection standards
• Creating more options for companies to pay financial assurance. Instead of paying financial assurance upfront, it could be paid in phases tied to the project’s construction schedule.

At a time when Ontario is securing game-changing investments in its growing automotive sector, these changes would benefit the entire minerals sector and advance Ontario’s plan to build an integrated supply chain by connecting mineral producers in the north, including those in the Ring of Fire, with the manufacturing sector in the south. The modifications to the Mining Act would increase certainty for business planning and generate investment in Northern Ontario to provide significant economic development opportunities for northern and Indigenous communities.