Modernizing Emergency Management in Ontario

​​A total of 16 unique comments were submitted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario during the comment period between December 9, 2024 to January 23, 2025. One duplicate comment was submitted.  

​Feedback related to Schedule 1 was generally supportive. Key themes included: 

• ​Provincial Coordination: Some comments recommended further clarification of roles and responsibilities across MEPR, ministries, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous organizations, and other partners. Suggestions included broadening oversight structures and integrating Indigenous knowledge and leadership into the legislation. Some comments also related to clearer parameters for Ontario Corps deployment and protections for volunteers, including funding, liability, and insurance.
• ​Municipal responsibilities: Some comments related to the changes to the municipal emergency declaration process, including to provide input on how the new requirements will be operationalized alongside some recommendations to strengthen the new preconditions (i.e., requiring consultation with emergency management plans). Other comments provided feedback on the proposed joint emergency management program and planning provisions to be introduced and included requests for guidance on managing multi-jurisdictional emergencies when this requirement is implemented and considerations to inform regulation development.
• ​Regulation development: Some comments related to the importance of engaging municipalities, Indigenous organizations, and other stakeholders in regulation development and recommended specific community partners that should be involved in regulation development. Some comments also recommended considerations related to future program requirements set out under regulation such as to include considerations for animals and vulnerable populations in emergency planning, and to include clear parameters for regulatory compliance. 

​Comments on the bill were carefully reviewed and considered, and did not result in amendments to the Act as feedback raised was assessed to be better addressed through the development of future regulations under the Act and supporting programs, plans and guidance.  

​Ontario is committed to continued collaboration with emergency management partners throughout the implementation of amendments to the EMCPA and the development of supporting regulations and guidance. Feedback received on this bill and through future engagements with partners, will inform implementation next steps. 

​Of the 20 submissions, six submissions included feedback on Schedule 2 of the Bill which amends the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act (MCSSA) to improve the government’s ability to provide more uniform, timely and responsive direction in extraordinary situations to service providers that are funded by MCCSS. This feedback indicated areas for further clarification and raised some concerns about additional strain on the social services sector.  

​Feedback relating to Schedule 2 of the Bill was considered by MCCSS but did not result in amendments to the Bill as MCCSS intends to develop regulations that would further define the service providers as well as the extraordinary situations to be covered under the new proposed authority. Extraordinary situations may include for example, natural disasters or interruptions to essential services. MCCSS will further consider the feedback received during development of draft regulations. Stakeholders will also have an opportunity to provide additional feedback when the proposed draft regulations under the MCSSA are posted to the Ontario Regulatory Registry. For clarity, there are no immediate impacts of the proposed amendments to the MCSSA on service providers.​