By Terrance S. Carter and Adriel Clayton

Ontario Bill 14, Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2025

Amendments have been proposed to Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and Retirement Homes Act, 2010 through Bill 14, Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2025, which was introduced and completed First Reading on May 8, 2025. Proposed amendments to the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 include new requirements for long-term care home licensees, such as the establishment of organized programs tailored to dementia care and cultural, linguistic, religious, and spiritual needs. The amendments also create new offences related to resident abuse and neglect, and broaden the Director’s authority to require reports from placement coordinators. As well, the role of Medical Director of a long-term care home, which must be a physician, would be redefined as Clinical Director, allowing the position to be held by either a physician or a “registered nurse in the extended class”, as defined in the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.

Amendments to the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 add a new right under the Residents’ Bill of Rights, entitling residents to ongoing support from caregivers. The changes also empower specified Ministry officials to issue binding directives and recommendations to licensees regarding the prevention and management of certain infectious diseases, enhancing regulatory oversight and resident protection.

Ontario Bill 16, Sacred Spaces, Safe Places Act, 2025

Proposed legislation aiming to safeguard access to religious institutions has been introduced in Ontario. Bill 16, Sacred Spaces, Safe Places Act, 2025 was introduced and completed First Reading on May 8, 2025, and proposes to establish protected access zones and to prohibit specific activities that interfere with entry to religious institutions. A “religious institution”, as defined in Bill 16, is “a building or structure, or part of a building or structure, that is primarily used for religious worship, including a church, mosque, synagogue or temple, or a cemetery.” If passed, Bill 16 would prohibit activities within designated access zones intended to dissuade or obstruct individuals from entering these institutions, including verbal persuasion or persistent requests not to enter.

Enforcement mechanisms include offences for prohibited conduct in established access zones, civil remedies for affected individuals, and provisions for court-ordered injunctions. Notably, individuals cannot be convicted unless they were aware or notified of the access zone boundaries. The legislation also grants the Superior Court of Justice authority to issue restraining orders and empowers law enforcement to make warrantless arrests in certain circumstances.

Ontario Bill 23, Protecting Seniors’ Rights in Care Homes Act, 2025

Senior citizens living in retirement homes in Ontario may soon have additional protection against exploitative fee increases and cuts to services. Bill 23, Protecting Seniors’ Rights in Care Homes Act, 2025, which was introduced and completed First Reading on May 14, 2025, proposes amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the “RTA”), which governs the rental portion of fees charged by retirement home. Proposed amendments to Part IX of the RTA aim to enhance transparency and tenant protection in care homes, particularly concerning charges for meals and care services. If passed, landlords would be required to ensure these charges align with details disclosed in mandatory information packages under section 140, which has been updated to require more specific content and obligations regarding ongoing accuracy and availability. The new section 141.1 would allow tenants and landlords to enter into agreements for additional care services or meals, and gives tenants the right to reduce or terminate these services post-agreement.

Additionally, proposed section 149.1 introduces controls on how and when charges for care services and meals may be increased, with a regulatory framework enabling limited exceptions. Consequential amendments to other provisions of the Act support these reforms.

Bill 23 also proposes to amend section 49 of the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 to require that when a retirement home ceases operation, residents are explicitly informed that they retain their rights under the RTA. The closure notice does not amount to a formal notice of termination under the RTA.

​Read the May 2025 Charity & NFP Law Update