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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Sudbury
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-23 19:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced that the City of Greater Sudbury will receive up to $45.3 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP). In exchange, the City of Greater Sudbury has committed to eliminating development charges for all housing types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029, a policy expected to reduce homebuilding costs by up to $22,162 per home and unlock 3,320 new homes. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) under a 10-year, $8.8 billion cost-matched infrastructure agreement. The DCRP funding will directly support improvements to local water and wastewater infrastructure, specifically transitioning the Garson East Drinking Water System and upgrading watermains and sanitary sewers in the Maley Drive growth corridor.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Essex County
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-23 18:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced up to $105.8 million in infrastructure funding through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) for regional and local municipalities in the County of Essex, including up to $51.2 million for Essex County, $77.6 million for the City of Windsor, $25.4 million for the Town of LaSalle, $11.8 million for the Municipality of Lakeshore, $8.4 million for the Town of Kingsville, $8.8 million for the Town of Essex, and $6.8 million for the Town of Tecumseh. In exchange, these municipalities have committed to reducing or eliminating development charges for all housing types between March 30, 2026, and December 31, 2030. Combined with a two-government agreement to provide relief on the full HST on eligible new homes from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, the initiatives are estimated to save homebuyers up to $170,862 per home and unlock 36,372 new homes across Essex County.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Windsor and Tecumseh
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-23 15:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada are providing up to $84.4 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) to the City of Windsor and the Town of Tecumseh in exchange for reducing development charges for all housing types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. Windsor will receive up to $77.6 million to reduce development charges by 70 percent, funding stormwater management and roadway infrastructure projects while saving homebuyers up to $49,452 per home. The Town of Tecumseh will receive up to $6.8 million to reduce development charges by 50 percent, supporting new trunk sanitary sewer infrastructure and saving homebuyers up to $18,078 per home. Combined with a federal-provincial agreement providing full HST relief on eligible new homes, these initiatives aim to unlock 19,263 new homes across the region.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Guelph
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-16 15:20:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced up to $48.3 million for the City of Guelph through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) to support vital water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades, including the Biosolids Facility, Verney Booster Pumping Station, and Clythe Water Treatment Plant. In exchange, the City of Guelph has committed to reducing development charges by 30 per cent for all housing types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. This reduction is estimated to lower new home building costs by up to $21,623 per home, which, when combined with expanded HST relief on eligible new homes, could save families up to $151,623 and unlock an estimated 27,675 new homes.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Orillia
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-16 14:15:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada are providing up to $11.3 million to the City of Orillia through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) in exchange for the municipality reducing development charges by 50 percent for all housing types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF). The reduction is estimated to lower homebuilding costs by up to $15,791 per unit, and when combined with expanded Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) relief, could save families up to $145,791. The municipal initiative and infrastructure investment—specifically supporting the expansion and modernization of the City's Wastewater Treatment Centre—are projected to unlock 2,025 new homes.
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New Affordable Housing Coming to Bradford West Gwillimbury
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-15 19:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Social Services]The Governments of Canada and Ontario announced nearly $15 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) to construct 99 new affordable housing units at 31 Frederick Street in the Municipality of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Developed by LOFT Community Services, the Bradford House project provides supportive housing for seniors living with complex needs, featuring integrated physical, mental, and substance use health services. The funding package includes $15 million from COCHI, $24,589,779 from the federal Affordable Housing Fund, and $150,000 in CMHC Seed Funding, alongside land donated by the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in St. Thomas
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-15 18:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Affordability, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada are providing up to $19.6 million to the City of St. Thomas through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) and the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) to support the design and construction of a new wastewater treatment facility. In exchange, the City of St. Thomas has committed to reducing development charges by 30 per cent for single-detached and multi-unit housing, and 50 per cent for remaining unit types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. This initiative is estimated to reduce building costs by up to $5,961 per home, save families up to $135,961 when combined with expanded HST relief, and unlock 6,196 new homes.
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Ontario Clarifies Longstanding Out-of-Country Drug Funding Process
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-06 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Affordability, Governance, Finance]The Government of Ontario has amended Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act to align with its longstanding out-of-country drug funding policy, restricting out-of-country funding to treatments where the drug and administration are publicly funded in Ontario, temporarily unavailable locally, and necessary to prevent death or irreversible tissue damage. According to the Ministry of Health led by Minister Sylvia Jones, the regulatory clarification aims to prevent global pharmaceutical companies from bypassing direct price negotiations with the province and avoids potential health-care system cost increases of up to $5.2 billion annually alongside $170 million in out-of-country treatment requests. This follows a recent Ontario Divisional Court decision concerning out-of-country drug funding, which the government is evaluating alongside options such as an appeal or a negotiated resolution with the applicant.
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Ontario Protecting Workers by Raising Minimum Wage
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Date: 2026-10-01 14:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Labour, Economy, Affordability]Effective October 1, 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development is increasing the provincial general minimum wage from $17.60 to $17.95 an hour under the Employment Standards Act, 2000. This annual 1.9 percent adjustment is tied to the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) and benefits more than 700,000 workers, resulting in an estimated annual pay increase of approximately $728 for a worker employed 40 hours per week. The adjustment marks the second-highest minimum wage rate among Canadian provinces and includes parallel increases to specialized minimum wages for students, homeworkers, and hunting and fishing guides.
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Minimum wage hikes set to begin across 5 provinces
Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
Date: 2026-10-01 12:34:05.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Labour, Economy, Affordability]Minimum wage increases ranging from 25 to 40 cents take effect in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, bringing their respective rates to $17.95, $17.30, $17.00, $16.40, and $15.70 per hour. Ontario has tied its adjustment directly to the rising cost of living. With these changes, Alberta maintains the lowest minimum wage in the country at $15.00 an hour, having not increased it since 2019, while Nunavut leads the country at just over $20.00 an hour following an increase at the beginning of September.
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Ottawa Commits Additional Funding for Federal Child Care Program in Ontario
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Education
Date: 2026-09-29 14:34:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, National, Education, Social Services, Affordability, Finance]Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra announced that the federal government has extended additional funding to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care program, maintaining current average child care fees at $19 a day with maximum caps at $22 per day until June 30, 2027. Between the 2021-22 and 2026-27 fiscal years, Ontario is investing approximately $34.5 billion in child care and early years programs, which includes $12.3 billion dedicated specifically to child care programs, fee subsidies, wage enhancements, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and the CARE tax credit. Both governments have committed to ongoing discussions regarding long-term program sustainability beyond June 2027 to ensure continued stability for families and the child care sector.
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Province and feds extending affordable child-care program in Ontario, but fees stay the same
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-29 13:51:37.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Education, Social Services, Affordability]The federal government and the Government of Ontario have agreed to a four-year extension of the national affordable child-care program, backed by a funding envelope of nearly $12 billion plus a share of an additional $5.4 billion. Under the agreement, Ontario has committed to maintaining parent fees at an average of $19 a day—capped at $22—until June 30, 2027, falling short of the national program's $10-a-day goal. The province has created nearly 60,000 of its targeted 86,000 affordable child-care spaces as waitlists continue to grow across the province.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Barrie
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-09-28 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced that the City of Barrie is receiving up to $129 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) in exchange for reducing residential development charges by 50 per cent from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) under a cost-matched structure agreed to in March 2026, providing up to $129 million to upgrade the City of Barrie wastewater treatment facility infrastructure, including constructing a new digester, converting the biological system to conventional fine-bubble diffused aeration, and building an advanced nutrient removal treatment train. The funding and municipal development charge reductions are estimated by the City of Barrie to unlock 23,364 new homes, reduce construction costs by up to $62,223 per home, and save families up to $192,223 when combined with expanded HST relief.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Mississauga
Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-09-03 16:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Transit]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced up to $401.4 million in funding for the City of Mississauga through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP). In exchange, Mississauga committed to reducing development charges by 50 per cent for residential developments and eliminating them completely on rental units with one-bedroom plus den, two, or three bedrooms from January 29, 2025, to March 31, 2029. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) under a 10-year, $8.8 billion cost-matched infrastructure agreement. The combined measures aim to unlock 90,000 new homes by funding housing-enabling infrastructure, including a zero-emission transit maintenance and storage facility and integrated transit infrastructure in downtown Mississauga.
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New Affordable Housing Coming to Leamington
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-08-28 18:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Social Services, Infrastructure]The Governments of Canada and Ontario announced nearly $3 million in funding—specifically $2,919,397 through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and $1,858,000 from the federal Rapid Housing Initiative—to construct 18 new affordable housing units at 310 Sherk Street in the Municipality of Leamington. The project forms part of the Tiny Home Community Initiative at The Bridge Youth Resource Centre site, which consists of a total of 50 mixed-income units, including 12 units designed to be accessible for youth, adults, seniors, low-income workers, and individuals facing addiction challenges. The funding supports broader regional housing objectives involving the Municipality of Leamington and the City of Windsor to expand vulnerable resident support services.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Bradford West Gwillimbury
Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-08-28 15:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Affordability, Finance]The Governments of Ontario and Canada have announced up to $94.8 million for the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) and the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF). In exchange, the Town will reduce development charges by up to 76 per cent from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029, saving homebuyers up to $36,500 per home. The federal and provincial funding, combined with a cost-matched $8.8 billion 10-year infrastructure agreement and expanded HST relief saving up to $130,000, aims to unlock over 29,000 new homes. Specific infrastructure projects funded include upgrading Plant D at the Bradford Water Pollution Control Plant, increasing water storage at the John Fennell Reservoir, widening and reconstructing the Line 8 corridor from Sideroad 10 to Barrie Street, and building new Church Well infrastructure.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Hamilton
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-08-26 20:17:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced a $572 million investment for the City of Hamilton through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) and the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) in exchange for the city eliminating development charges on all residential developments from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. The funding will support key municipal infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the Woodward water and wastewater treatment plant, upgrading the Greenhill Water Pumping Station, and widening or reconstructing major corridors such as Barton Street, Lewis Road, Rymal Road, and Garner Road. The removal of development charges is estimated to reduce construction costs by up to $100,442 per home, which, when combined with expanded HST relief, could save homebuyers over $230,000 and unlock over 31,000 new housing units across Hamilton.
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Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Vaughan
Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-08-26 15:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]The governments of Ontario and Canada announced that the City of Vaughan is receiving up to $697.2 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) in exchange for reducing development charges by 50 per cent for residential developments from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029, and eliminating them for qualifying projects meeting construction milestones from February 25, 2026, to October 31, 2027. Combined with expanded HST relief saving homebuyers up to $130,000, these measures aim to reduce building costs by up to $98,056 per home and unlock over 120,000 new housing units. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) under a 10-year cost-matched structure, while municipal contributions require a minimum of 10 per cent of project costs to support housing-enabling infrastructure such as watermains, road widenings on Huntington, Kirby, and Teston roads, bridge replacements, and fire stations.
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