Proposed Changes to Various Regulations Under the Planning Act and the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to Specify Additional “Prescribed Professions” for the Purposes of a Complete Application

The government is seeking public feedback on proposed legislative changes under the proposed Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026 and related regulatory changes to further support housing, economic, and infrastructure development, and advance key transportation and transit priorities.

The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 (Bill 17) made changes to the Planning Act and the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to create regulation-making authority for the Minister to scope complete application requirements by, among other things, providing that municipalities would be required to accept studies from certified professionals  in professions specified in regulation. Further to these legislative changes, new and amending regulations under the Planning Act and City of Toronto Act, 2006 were filed on January 22, 2026 to specify professional engineering as a “prescribed profession” for the purposes of a complete application.      

The government is now seeking feedback on adding additioinal certified professionals, for example registered landscape architects, for the purposes of a complete application.  This change would help further speed up development approvals and reduce some initial application costs associated with development proposals.

The prescribing of certified professionals by regulation means that municipalities would be required to accept technical studies and reports prepared by these professionals in the first instance as satisfying complete application requirements (without requiring further review or revisions).  

Municipalities could still request additional information or undertake a review of the technical information submitted, but these requests do not affect the decision-making timelines in the Act or the applicant’s right of appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal after the decision timeline has expired.

We welcome your thoughts on which additional registered professionals should be added as certified professions for the purposes of a complete application.

Analysis of Regulatory Impact

The proposed changes are anticipated to support the goal of streamlining and expediting provincial review and approval of official plans and amendments.  This could result in direct cost and time savings on a project-by-project basis.