• Ontario Strengthening Enforcement Against Illegal Cannabis Retail Operations

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Attorney General
  Date: 2026-10-19 16:13:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Justice, Public Safety, Economy, Governance]

  The Ontario government announced proposed legislative changes to grant the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) expanded enforcement authorities against illegal cannabis storefronts and online operations, including the power to conduct inspections, seize illegal products and equipment, and issue administrative monetary penalties. The measures aim to address illegal retailers, who currently account for approximately 30 per cent of cannabis sales in the province, while protecting consumers and supporting the roughly 1,800 authorized cannabis retailers operating legally across Ontario.

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• Ontario Moving to Permanent Daylight Saving Time in Parts of Northwestern Ontario

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Attorney General
  Date: 2026-10-13 18:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Manitoba, Justice, Governance, Economy, Indigenous]

  The Government of Ontario intends to implement a regulatory change under the Time Act by November 1, 2026, making daylight saving time permanent in Kenora and northwestern Ontario communities located west of the 90th meridian. This policy decision follows Manitoba's September 17, 2026 announcement to adopt permanent daylight saving time and aims to maintain regional alignment for businesses, families, and Indigenous communities in Ontario's central time zone. Attorney General Doug Downey and Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation Greg Rickford confirmed that extensive regional engagement revealed unanimous support for the synchronized time change to avoid economic and scheduling disruptions.

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• Statement by Minister Quinn on Pausing OSAP Payments to Private Postsecondary Institutions and Restoring Integrity to the OSAP System

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
  Date: 2026-10-06 18:59:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Education, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  The Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) has paused all Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments to private postsecondary institutions following preliminary findings from an independent audit by KPMG that identified serious integrity concerns, including links to immigration services firms and unusually high application concentrations. The government issued notices of non-renewal and suspended OSAP eligibility for six campuses in May 2026, referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police, and notified the Auditor General. Furthermore, the province intends to introduce legislation to permanently exclude predominantly online programs at private career colleges from OSAP eligibility and is working with financial institutions to arrange low-interest, third-party loans for affected students.

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