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Bill 73, Protecting Ontario from Urban Wildfires Act, 2025

Tabuns, Peter

Bell, Jessica

Gilmour, Alexa

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

Current status:

First Reading Ordered for Second Reading

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Bill 73 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts the Protecting Ontario from Urban Wildfires

Act, 2025 . The Act provides that the Minister of the Environment,

Conservation and Parks shall, no later than 90 days after the day the Act comes

into force, establish an Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee. The Committee

shall assess the growing risk of urban wildfires, both in terms of scale and

expected timelines for when increased levels of risk will be reached. The

Committee shall also develop recommendations for preventing, suppressing and

recovering from urban wildfires and protecting the population from urban

wildfires. Within one year of being established, the Committee shall report its

assessment and recommendations to the Legislative Assembly. Based on the

Committee’s assessment and recommendations, the Minister shall, along with

other members of the Executive Council assigned by the Lieutenant Governor in

Council, develop plans, and any legislation necessary for implementing those

plans, related to protecting Ontario from urban wildfires and shall develop

protocols for co-operation between urban and forest wildfire management and

suppression forces.

Bill 73 2025

Act respecting urban wildfires

Preamble

Major

fires in Los Angeles, Jasper and Fort McMurray, a near miss in London, England

and wildfires in New York City parks have all made it clear that, in a world

that is getting hotter at an increasing rate, we risk confronting urban

wildfires in Ontario in a way not seen in the past century. Our plans for

responding to potential urban wildfires should use a 2 degree Celsius increase

in average global temperatures above pre-industrial temperatures within the

next 15 years as the baseline for understanding the new conditions we will

face.

Therefore,

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Urban

Wildfires Advisory Committee

(1) The

Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks shall, no later than 90 days

after the day this

section comes into force, establish an Urban Wildfires

Advisory Committee.

Composition

(2) The

Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee shall be composed of members appointed by

the Minister in accordance with subsection (3).

Same

(3) The

Minister shall ensure that the Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee includes

members of the following groups:

1. Climate

scientists.

2. Wildfire

scientists.

3. Forest

hydrologists.

4. The

Office of the Fire Marshal.

5. Firefighter

management and unions representing firefighters.

6. Environmental

non-governmental organizations.

7. Authorities

responsible for emergency management and civil protection.

8. Conservation

authorities.

9. Specialists

in the fields of disaster prevention and emergency management and recovery.

10. Representatives

of municipal umbrella organizations such as the Association of Municipalities

of Ontario, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and the Federation

of Northern Ontario Municipalities.

11. First

Nations representatives who can bring First Nations fire management knowledge

and ongoing knowledge of fire evacuation experiences.

Remuneration

and expenses

(4) The

Lieutenant Governor in Council may determine the remuneration and expenses of

any person appointed under subsection (2).

Appropriation

required

(5) Subsection

(4) does not apply unless money has been appropriated by the Legislature for

the purpose of that subsection.

Functions

(1) The

Urban Wildfires Advisory Committee shall,

(

a) assess

the growing risk of urban wildfires both in terms of scale and expected

timelines for when increased levels of risk will be reached; and

(

b) develop

recommendations for preventing, suppressing and recovering from urban wildfires

and protecting the population from urban wildfires.

Report

(2) On

or before the day that is one year after the day the Urban Wildfires Advisory

Committee is established, the Committee shall report its assessment and

recommendations to the Legislative Assembly.

Plans

(1) Based

on the assessment and recommendations reported under subsection 2 (2), the

Minister shall, on or before the day that is one year after the day the

assessment and recommendations are reported under subsection 2 (2), along with

other members of the Executive Council assigned by the Lieutenant Governor in

Council, develop plans, and any legislation necessary for implementing those

plans, that do the following:

1. Include

any necessary changes to the following to allow for the effective prevention,

suppression and recovery from urban wildfires and effective protection of the

population from urban wildfires:

i. Regulations,

including the Building Code and zoning and urban planning regulations.

ii. Legislation,

including the Emergency Management and Civil Protection

Act , the Forest Fires Prevention Act , the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 and the Municipal Act, 2001 .

iii. Firefighting

infrastructure.

iv. Emergency

relief facilities and protocols for evacuation.

v. Requirements

for the updating of municipal emergency response plans.

vi. Standard

assessments of fire risk from forest types and from the wildland-urban interface.

2. Ensure

the development of urban firefighting resources under the direction of the Government

of Ontario to provide assistance to and training for existing urban

firefighters.

3. Undertake

the development of educational programs for urban dwellers in large and small

municipalities regarding urban wildfire prevention and steps that individuals

can take to reduce the risk they face.

Report

re costs

(2) The

Minister shall report to the Legislative Assembly the Minister’s opinion

regarding the amount of costs that should be covered by the Government of

Ontario to deliver these programs and to assist municipalities in delivering

these programs.

Protocols

(3) The

Minister, along with other members of the Executive Council referred to in

subsection (1), shall develop protocols for co-operation between urban and

forest wildfire management and suppression forces.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Protecting Ontario from

Urban Wildfires Act, 2025 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

November 20, 2025

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

November 20, 2025

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

November 20, 2025

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

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