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The Ontario Construction Secretariat has published its analysis of the 2025 Ontario budget and its impact for the ICI construction sector. While the OCS’s focus is commercial construction, many of the items are relevant for the renovation and homebuilding sector, including:
- $11 billion to support and ease the pressure on workers and business affected by U.S. tariffs
- Providing a six-month interest and penalty-free period, during which penalties and interest will not apply to any Ontario businesses that choose to defer payment under select provincially administered taxes
- $2 billion in employer rebates through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), for a total of $4 billion over the past year, to help safe employers keep more workers on the job
- Investing $20 million in 2025−26 to mobilize new training and support centres, formerly known as action centres, providing immediate transition supports for laid-off workers, including those impacted by U.S. tariff
- A new $40 million Trade-Impacted Communities Program (TICP) to help communities and local businesses disproportionally impacted by trade disruption
- Reducing unnecessary barriers and taking a leadership role in driving immediate and meaningful action on internal trade
- Remove labour mobility barriers, reduce administrative burdens and simplify the movement of certified workers across Canada, by expanding labour mobility with new “As of Right” rules;
- Enable mutual recognition with reciprocating provinces and territories, so that goods, services and registered workers that are good enough for other parts of Canada are recognized as good enough for sale, use or work in Ontario
- Over the next three years, the government is investing another $1 billion, bringing the total SDF funding commitment to $2.5 billion.
- Investing over $5.2 million through the Skills Development Fund to support the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 128 in expanding training opportunities in Northern Ontario
- Investing an additional $159.3 million over three years to support ongoing growth and program stability in various skilled trades programs, including expanding the In-Class Enhancement Fund to increase the number of training seats available and fund the classroom fees for Level 1 apprentices
- Investing $75 million over three years to create up to 2,600 new seats annually in priority construction-related postsecondary programs