This significant expansion reflects Ontario’s commitment to streamline local governance and help ensure municipalities have the tools they need to reduce obstacles that can stand in the way of new housing and infrastructure development. The powers would allow heads of council of single- and lower-tier municipalities with councils of six members or more to support shared provincial-municipal priorities, such as encouraging the approval of new housing and constructing and maintaining infrastructure to support housing, including roads and transit.

“Heads of Council are key partners in our efforts to build homes and infrastructure across the province,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By extending strong mayor powers to these additional municipalities, we are providing mayors every tool at our disposal to empower them to get homes and infrastructure built faster. Mayors know their municipalities best, and we support them in taking bold actions for their communities.”

Ontario’s strong mayor powers, initially introduced for Toronto and Ottawa in 2022, have been gradually rolled out across the province. The province currently has 47 municipalities with these enhanced powers, which have helped to cut red tape and accelerate the delivery of key priorities in their communities. These enhanced powers come with increased accountability for heads of council and maintain essential checks and balances through the oversight of councillors.

Strong mayor powers and duties include:

• Choosing to appoint the municipality’s chief administrative officer.
• Hiring certain municipal department heads and establishing and re-organizing departments.
• Creating committees of council, assigning their functions and appointing the chairs and vice-chairs of committees of council.
• Proposing the municipal budget, which would be subject to council amendments and a separate head of council veto and council override process.
• Proposing certain municipal by-laws if the mayor is of the opinion that the proposed by-law could potentially advance a provincial priority identified in regulation. Council can pass these by-laws if more than one-third of all council members vote in favour.
• Vetoing certain by-laws if the head of council is of the opinion that all or part of the by-law could potentially interfere with a provincial priority.
• Bringing forward matters for council consideration if the head of council is of the opinion that considering the matter could potentially advance a provincial priority.

1. Township of Adjala-Tosorontio
2. Town of Amherstburg
3. Town of Arnprior
4. Municipality of Arran-Elderslie
5. Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
6. Township of Athens
7. Town of Atikokan
8. Town of Aylmer
9. Town of Bancroft
10. Township of Black River-Matheson
11. Town of Blind River
12. Municipality of Bluewater
13. Town of Bracebridge
14. County of Brant
15. Municipality of Brighton
16. Township of Brock
17. Municipality of Brockton
18. City of Brockville
19. Town of Carleton Place
20. Municipality of Central Elgin
21. Township of Central Frontenac
22. Municipality of Central Huron
23. Municipality of Central Manitoulin
24. Township of Centre Wellington
25. Township of Champlain
26. City of Clarence-Rockland
27. Township of Clearview
28. Town of Cobalt
29. Town of Cobourg
30. Town of Cochrane
31. Town of Collingwood
32. City of Cornwall
33. Town of Deep River
34. City of Dryden
35. United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde
36. Township of East Zorra-Tavistock
37. Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
38. City of Elliot Lake
39. Town of Englehart
40. Town of Espanola
41. Town of Essex
42. Town of Fort Erie
43. Town of Fort Frances
44. Municipality of French River
45. Town of Gananoque
46. Township of Georgian Bay
47. Township of Georgian Bluffs
48. Town of Goderich
49. Town of Gore Bay
50. Town of Gravenhurst
51. Town of Greater Napanee
52. Municipality of Greenstone
53. Municipality of Grey Highlands
54. Town of Grimsby
55. Town of Hanover
56. Municipality of Hastings Highlands
57. Town of Hawkesbury
58. Town of Hearst
59. Town of Huntsville
60. Municipality of Huron East
61. Municipality of Huron Shores
62. Township of Huron-Kinloss
63. Town of Ingersoll
64. Town of Iroquois Falls
65. Town of Kapuskasing
66. City of Kenora
67. Township of Killaloe, Hagarty & Richards
68. Municipality of Killarney
69. Municipality of Kincardine
70. Township of King
71. Town of Kingsville
72. Town of Kirkland Lake
73. Township of Lake of Bays
74. Municipality of Lakeshore
75. Municipality of Lambton Shores
76. Township of Lanark Highlands
77. Town of LaSalle
78. Town of Latchford
79. Township of Laurentian Valley
80. Municipality of Leamington
81. Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands
82. Town of Lincoln
83. Loyalist Township
84. Township of Malahide
85. Town of Mattawa
86. Municipality of Meaford
87. Municipality of Middlesex Centre
88. Town of Midland
89. Township of Minden Hills
90. Town of Minto
91. Municipality of Mississippi Mills
92. Township of Muskoka Lakes
93. The Nation Municipality
94. Municipality of Neebing
95. Town of New Tecumseth
96. Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
97. Norfolk County
98. Township of North Frontenac
99. Township of North Glengarry
100. Township of North Huron
101. Municipality of North Middlesex
102. Municipality of North Perth
103. Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands
104. Town of Orangeville
105. City of Orillia*
106. Township of Oro-Medonte
107. City of Owen Sound
108. Town of Parry Sound
109. Town of Pelham
110. City of Pembroke
111. Town of Penetanguishene
112. Town of Perth
113. Township of Perth East
114. Township of Perth South
115. Town of Petawawa
116. Town of Petrolia
117. Town of Plympton-Wyoming
118. City of Port Colborne
119. Municipality of Port Hope
120. Town of Prescott
121. County of Prince Edward
122. City of Quinte West
123. Town of Rainy River
124. Township of Ramara
125. Town of Renfrew
126. Township of Rideau Lakes
127. Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers
128. Town of Saugeen Shores
129. Township of Scugog
130. Township of Seguin
131. Township of Severn
132. Town of Shelburne
133. Municipality of Sioux Lookout
134. Town of Smiths Falls
135. Township of South Algonquin
136. Municipality of South Bruce
137. Township of South Frontenac
138. Municipality of South Huron
139. Township of Southgate
140. Municipality of Southwest Middlesex
141. Township of South-West Oxford
142. Township of Springwater
143. Township of St. Clair
144. Town of St. Marys
145. City of St. Thomas
146. Township of Stone Mills
147. City of Stratford
148. Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc
149. Township of Tay
150. Tay Valley Township
151. Town of Tecumseh
152. Municipality of Temagami
153. City of Temiskaming Shores
154. Township of The Archipelago
155. Town of The Blue Mountains
156. Town of Thessalon
157. City of Thorold
158. Town of Tillsonburg
159. City of Timmins
160. Municipality of Trent Hills
161. Township of Uxbridge
162. Town of Wasaga Beach
163. Municipality of West Grey
164. Township of West Lincoln
165. Municipality of West Nipissing
166. Municipality of West Perth
167. Township of Whitewater Region
168. Township of Wilmot
169. Township of Woolwich

Currently, there are 47 heads of council with strong mayor powers in the province of Ontario. Below is a list of these municipalities and the dates those powers were granted:

1. Town of Ajax: July 1, 2023
2. Town of Aurora: October 31, 2023
3. City of Barrie: July 1, 2023
4. City of Belleville: October 31, 2023
5. Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury: October 31, 2023
6. City of Brampton: July 1, 2023
7. City of Brantford: July 1, 2023
8. City of Burlington: July 1, 2023
9. Town of Caledon: July 1, 2023
10. City of Cambridge: July 1, 2023
11. Municipality of Chatham-Kent: October 31, 2023
12. Municipality of Clarington: July 1, 2023
13. Town of East Gwillimbury: October 31, 2023
14. Town of Georgina: October 31, 2023
15. City of Greater Sudbury: October 31, 2023
16. City of Guelph: July 1, 2023
17. Town of Halton Hills: October 31, 2023
18. City of Hamilton: July 1, 2023
19. Town of Innisfil: October 31, 2023
20. City of Kawartha Lakes: October 31, 2023
21. City of Kingston: July 1, 2023
22. City of Kitchener: July 1, 2023
23. City of London: July 1, 2023
24. City of Markham: July 1,2023
25. Town of Milton: July 1, 2023
26. City of Mississauga: July 1, 2023
27. City of Niagara Falls: July 1, 2023
28. City of North Bay: October 31, 2023
29. Town of Oakville: July 1, 2023
30. City of Orillia: April 3, 2025 *
31. City of Oshawa: July 1, 2023
32. City of Ottawa: November 23, 2022
33. City of Peterborough: October 31, 2023
34. City of Pickering: July 1, 2023
35. City of Richmond Hill: July 1, 2023
36. City of Sarnia: October 31, 2023
37. City of Sault Ste. Marie: October 31, 2023
38. City of St. Catharines: July 1, 2023
39. City of Thunder Bay: October 31, 2023
40. City of Toronto: November 23, 2022
41. City of Vaughan: July 1, 2023
42. City of Waterloo: July 1, 2023
43. City of Welland: October 31, 2023
44. Town of Whitby: July 1, 2023
45. Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville: October 31, 2023
46. City of Windsor: July 1, 2023
47. City of Woodstock: October 31, 2023

The restoration project includes careful interior deconstruction to preserve heritage elements while modernizing building systems to address safety and accessibility issues. In addition, the project will include securing and preparing a temporary place to conduct parliamentary business.

“Our government’s proposal strikes an important balance between the need to leverage the infrastructure expertise, fiscal transparency, and accountability of the government with the independence and oversight of our Legislative Assembly,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Legislative Affairs. “While much work lies ahead, I am confident the restoration of Queen’s Park will make it a functional place of business for another 130 years and a symbol of our democracy of which all Ontarians can be proud.”

The Legislative Building has only undergone piecemeal repairs since its construction in 1893. Critical building systems such as plumbing, heating, electrical, and IT services, are at or beyond end of life and at risk of total failure. A full restoration of the Legislative Building is needed to bring it up to modern safety and operational standards, to meet the needs of parliamentarians, and to serve the people of Ontario for years to come.

The proposed legislation would, if passed, establish the foundation of a comprehensive restoration project and temporary relocation of parliamentary operations while the project is underway. In collaboration with the Assembly, and with the oversight of an all-party committee of parliamentarians, the government will plan and execute the restoration of the building, leveraging its expertise in managing large-scale infrastructure projects.

Quick Facts

“With 21 per cent of adults now fully vaccinated as Team Ontario sets new records in daily shots, we can be confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind us,” said Premier Ford. “As we continue our work to rebuild and support Ontario’s health system, our renewed team is well positioned to deliver on the priorities that matter to Ontarians, including getting more people back to work, making life more affordable, supporting businesses and job creators and building transit infrastructure.”

15 get new roles 5 ejected – Yurek, Yakabuski, Scott, Hardeman, Walker

2 change ministries – Fullerton, Romano,

1 returns – Rod Phillips back in as Long-Term Minister

Changes to the Executive Council include the following:

• Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North, becomes Minister of Colleges and Universities.
• Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, MPP for Kanata-Carleton, becomes Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
• Parm Gill, MPP for Milton, becomes Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
• Rod Phillips, MPP for Ajax, becomes Minister of Long-Term Care.
• Dave Piccini, MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South, becomes Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
• Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, assumes a merged role as Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, as well as remains Minister of Indigenous Affairs. This new northern and economic focused ministry will enhance development potential and sustainability in the North. Energy will transfer to a new separate ministry.
• Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte, becomes Minister of Energy.
• Rosario Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, becomes Minister of Government and Consumer Services.
• Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, MPP for Brampton South, becomes President of the Treasury Board.
• Kinga Surma, MPP for Etobicoke Centre, becomes Minister of Infrastructure.
• Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron Bruce, becomes Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
• Stan Cho, MPP for Willowdale, becomes Associate Minister of Transportation, reporting to Minister Mulroney.
• Jane McKenna, MPP for Burlington, becomes Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, reporting to Minister Fullerton.
• Nina Tangri, MPP for Mississauga Streetsville, becomes Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, reporting to Minister Fedeli.
• Kaleed Rasheed, MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, becomes Associate Minister of Digital Government, reporting to Minister Bethlenfalvy.

Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge and Minister of Finance, will assume responsibility for Ontario’s digital government strategy within the Ministry of Finance.