Bill 72, Buy Ontario Act, 2025

Summary#

Bill 72 creates a new “Buy Ontario” law for public purchasing, updates road safety rules near schools, and preserves some condo protections from expiring. Its main goal is to let the province steer public spending toward Ontario-made goods and services, tighten vendor oversight, and boost safety in school and community safety zones.

• Lets the province issue binding purchasing rules for government and broader public sector bodies, including a preference for Ontario- or Canada-made goods and services.
• Allows funding to be withheld from public bodies that do not follow the rules and requires third‑party supply chain managers to comply too.
• Lets the Minister direct municipalities to install safety signs near schools and, if needed, have the province install them instead; enables rules for flashing amber signals in school and community safety zones.
• Prevents certain condo owner protection provisions from being automatically repealed at the end of 2025; the exception lasts until January 1, 2027.
• Repeals the 2022 Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act and replaces it with this new framework.

What it means for you#

• Ontario businesses and workers

  • Public contracts could more often favor Ontario- or Canada‑made goods and services. This may create more local bids and work.
  • Vendor performance standards and enforcement could become stricter, affecting how suppliers are rated and kept accountable.

• Public sector purchasers (provincial ministries, agencies, hospitals, schools, designated broader public sector organizations)

  • You may need to give preference to Ontario/Canada-made goods or Ontario/Canada‑provided services when buying.
  • You can be reviewed for compliance, named publicly for non‑compliance, and ordered to take corrective action.
  • If you use a third‑party supply chain manager, your contract must require them to follow these rules.
  • If you do not comply, part or all of your provincial funding can be withheld until you do.

• Municipalities

  • The Minister can direct you to install specific signs in community safety zones next to schools, and within 500 metres of those schools. If you do not install them by the deadline, the province can enter the road and install the signs.
  • The province can require flashing amber signals with certain signs and set how and when they flash. Local bylaws can govern the timing if they exist.
  • The Minister can carry out installations despite other permits or approvals that would normally be needed.

• Parents, students, and drivers

  • Expect more signs and possibly flashing amber signals in and near school and community safety zones, up to 500 metres from schools. This aims to slow traffic and improve safety.

• Condo buyers and owners

  • Certain protections in the Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015 will not be automatically repealed on December 31, 2025. They remain in place until at least January 1, 2027.

• Transparency and recourse

  • Procurement directives must be posted on a provincial website and be available on request.
  • The law limits lawsuits for actions taken under it (for example, creating or following directives). People can still seek judicial review or constitutional remedies, but most damages claims are barred.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Keeps more public dollars in Ontario, supporting local jobs, manufacturers, and service providers.
• Strengthens supply chain resilience so essential goods and services are available during crises and disruptions.
• Lets the province set clear vendor performance standards and enforce them, improving value for taxpayers.
• Adds tools to improve road safety where children travel, by requiring signs and flashing signals near schools and in community safety zones.
• Increases transparency by posting directives online and allowing public reporting on compliance.
• Preserves important condo owner protections that might otherwise lapse, giving time to implement or update them.

Opponents' View#

• Preferring Ontario or Canadian suppliers could reduce competition, raise prices, or conflict with interprovincial or international trade obligations.
• Letting the province withhold funds from broader public sector bodies may risk impacts on services if disputes arise.
• The law shields the government and public bodies from most lawsuits related to these procurement rules, which critics say lowers accountability.
• Allowing directives outside the normal regulation process may reduce legislative oversight, even if posted online.
• Provincial power to order and install municipal road signs, overriding local permits, may be seen as undermining local control and adding costs or workload for cities.
• Limiting who can bid on public contracts could exclude capable non‑Ontario suppliers and slow innovation if fewer vendors compete.