Provincial
Ontario Building Code perched on cutting edge
The first-ever comprehensive review of the Ontario Building Code has a mandate to root out duplications, anachronisms and undue complexities that have accumulated over the course of 50 years.
Ontario mulls new retrofit financing option
The Ontario government is proposing to open up a new financing option for energy and water efficiency upgrades in commercial and multifamily buildings.
Ontario electricity procurement passes on gas
Renewable energy proponents have emerged as the favoured bidders in the first phase of Ontario’s effort to add 7,500 megawatts of electricity resources to the provincial grid by 2034.
Toronto green development standard loses clout
Newly adopted Ontario legislation cancels local governments' ability to dictate sustainable design features through site plan control and forbids them from requiring EV charging infrastructure in private buildings.
Electricity strategy leans on influencer role
The Canadian government signals its ambitions to be an influencer via the national electricity strategy even though it lacks constitutional jurisdiction over generation, transmission and rate setting.
Call for waste data management can’t be refused
OSCRE is developing its data management standard in sync with mounting pressure for real estate players to accurately report the volume of waste they produce, disseminate and divert from landfill.
Ontario unveils new business tax measures
The 2026 Ontario budget includes targeted tax relief for small businesses, added tax deferral flexibility for some employers and notice that a current tax credit will be terminated in 2027.
Alberta budget confirms tax and fee increases
Commercial ratepayers in Alberta can expect a 4.25 per cent jump in their education property taxes this year, while various added fees filter through to the real estate, facilities management and construction sectors.
B.C. real estate sector gets PST surprise
Commercial and residential landlords and strata corporations in British Columbia face a 7 per cent increase on some key operational costs, set to kick in on Oct. 1, 2026.
Carbon market stringency standards under review
A lower threshold for mandatory participation in Canada’s industrial carbon market could bring some commercial and institutional campuses into the mix along with a broader range of suppliers to the buildings sector.
Ontario floats electricity pricing refinements
Electricity pricing refinements could be in the offing for the predominant share of Ontario’s commercial ratepayers who don’t qualify for possible cost savings through the Industrial Conservation Initiative.
Standby generators tapped for relaxed oversight
More leniency could come with a package of proposed new rules for activities that currently oblige accountable parties to obtain environmental permissions from the Ontario government.
Indigenous partners on infrastructure agenda
Canada’s leadership has endorsed Indigenous ownership stakes in energy and infrastructure projects, underscoring that they will be pivotal to economic development and national cohesiveness.
New tax twist for affordable rental housing
A promised new optional property tax subclass would allow Ontario municipalities to reduce the tax rate on qualifying affordable rental units by up to 35 per cent.
Illegal drug activity could ensnare landlords
Proposed Ontario legislation targets landlords who knowingly permit or possess proceeds from the production or trafficking of controlled substances within premises they control.
Manitoba takes lead in nixing property controls
Manitoba consumers could see the distance shrink between competing grocery stores with the adoption of new provincial legislation addressing restrictive covenants and exclusivity clauses.
Ontario vague on special economic zones
Ontario's Bill 5 is presented as a means to propel infrastructure, mining and resource development projects considered instrumental for economic development and safeguarding Canadian sovereignty.



















