海角社区官网

Buy local is going 鈥渉igh鈥� local.

To flag Ontario cannabis products amid a trade war with the United States, Premier Doug Ford鈥檚 government has developed an 鈥淥ntario Grown鈥� label to slap on products with at least 75 per cent provincial content.

The plan 鈥� which includes easing restrictions on cannabis storefronts to make them 鈥渕ore welcoming鈥� 鈥� is detailed in Thursday鈥檚 Ontario budget along with $100 million in tax breaks this fiscal year for Ontario producers of microbrews, spirits, ciders and ready-to-drink cocktails.

The move is aimed at boosting sales and lowering prices for consumers starting Aug. 1.

Read the full story here from Rob Ferguson

The Ontario budget says the government will invest more than $235 million this year to establish and expand up to 80 more primary care teams, which it says will connect 300,000 more people to primary care.

It also says it will invest up to $280 million over two years to support the expansion of integrated health service centres that will help more Ontarians access MRI and CT scans, among other services.

It also plans to increase the province鈥檚 investment to the Ontario Autism Program, bringing this year鈥檚 total funding to $779 million.

Read the full story from The Canadian Press

Teacher training 鈥� and worker retraining 鈥� got a boost in the Ontario budget, as overall education funding will see above-inflation increases.

Base spending on elementary and secondary education rises from this year鈥檚 $39 billion to almost $41 billion in 2025-26.

Critics have accused the Ford government of not spending enough on Kindergarten to Grade 12 education to even keep up with inflation, though it spent more than allotted this year because of increased teacher pay as well as school board spending.

Read the full story here from Kris Rushowy

Now you know why Doug Ford called an early election 鈥� he got out ahead of a bad news budget

Officially, belatedly, Thursday鈥檚 budget is an echo of the premier鈥檚 February campaign slogan: 鈥淎 Plan to Protect Ontario.鈥�

A more fitting title: The 鈥淏lame Trump Budget.鈥�

Fair enough. No question that the U.S. president messed up our economic outlook (and bolstered Ford鈥檚 re-election outcome). The unanswered question is whether Ontario鈥檚 premier can clean up that mess 鈥� or make matters worse.

Read the full column from Martin Regg Cohn here

Woe Canada, Ontario claims to stand on guard for thee.

With the economy battered by U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 trade war and unemployment rising, Premier Doug Ford鈥檚 government has tabled a record $232.5-billion provincial budget to 鈥減rotect Ontario鈥� and promote national unity.

鈥淲hen all of Canada wins, Ontario wins,鈥� Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said Thursday in boosterish speech that noted 鈥渋t is amazing to witness the burst of patriotism across our province and our great country鈥� in the face of Trump鈥檚 tariffs.

Read the full story from Robert Benzie here

From choppers for cops to new teacher spots, the record-breaking $232.5 billion Ontario budget unveiled Thursday also features a number of programs to help tariff-battered businesses and workers.

As a point of national pride, the province is also introducing a new 鈥渂uy鈥� day to promote Ontario and Canadian-made products.

Check out the highlights here

Amid a teacher shortage, the province is pledging almost $56 million to create 2,600 new training spots over the next two years.

Base Education funding is rising from $39 billion this school year to almost $41 billion in 2025-26. More than inflation, as Bethlenfalvy notes, but critics say doesn鈥檛 make up for past budgets that didn鈥檛 meet boards鈥� actual costs.

Post-secondary funding will drop, from base of $12.4 billion this year, to $11.5 next year.

When student financial assistance is factored in, decrease is from $14.2 billion to just under $13 billion.

Ontario is purchasing two new H-135 helicopters, costing $57 million, for the Niagara and Windsor police services to help boost border security and crime surveillance and enforcement. The province previously spent $135 million for five helicopters for police in the 海角社区官网and Ottawa areas.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the extra supports for the 鈥淛oint Air Support Unit鈥� shows 鈥渙ur messsge to criminals and traffickers is clear - we are coming for you.鈥�

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said the fiscal plan “utterly fails” on improving housing affordability.

“We will not tariff-proof Ontario if people can鈥檛 afford to live in this province. We are not helping the people who need the help, the most low- and middle-income families,” said Schreiner.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said her party does support “providing stimulus to ride through this critical time.”

“But in the long term, what’s in it for the people who are still waiting 20 hours in an emergency room for care?” said Crombie.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Ford’s Tories are spending more while Ontarians are getting less for their tax dollars.

“This is a Band-Aid budget, a missed opportunity to strengthen Ontario,” said Stiles.

Premier Doug Ford’s government has tabled a record $232.5-billion provincial budget to “protect Ontario” and promote national unity.

“When all of Canada wins, Ontario wins,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said Thursday in boosterish speech that noted “it is amazing to witness the burst of patriotism across our province and our great country” in the face of Trump’s tariffs.

Fulfilling a promise from the Progressive Conservatives鈥� Feb. 27 re-election campaign, Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy are permanently lowering the gas tax and eliminating tolls on the provincially operated part of the Highway 407 expressway.

As of June 1, the levies, which can be up to $20, will be lifted on the 43-kilometre portion of Highway 407 from Brock Road in Pickering east to Highway 35/115 north of Clarington, which will cost the treasury around $72 million annually.

But tolls that can cost $86 depending on the time of day will remain on the privately operated 108-kilometre section of Highway 407 from the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington to Brock Road.

In Thursday鈥檚 budget, Bethlenfalvy will also finally make permanent the temporary 5.7 cents a litre reduction in the gas tax he introduced in 2022 and has extended annually since. The tax will remain at 9 cents a litre, down from 14.7 cents three years ago.

Read more from the Star’s Robert Benzie

Ontario is set to table its budget today, and Premier Doug Ford is signalling it will include a lot of infrastructure spending and measures to stimulate the economy, saying U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs will be a major factor.

鈥淲e have to look at it through a different lens now, since these tariffs have been put on us,鈥� he said Wednesday.

鈥淵ou have two options in a budget. You start cutting and slashing, which I鈥檝e never believed (in). In tougher times, you go out there, you put money into infrastructure, keep building the hospitals that we鈥檙e doing, and the highways and the bridges and the roads and the schools and long-term care homes and really building the infrastructure. We can always balance (in) a year or two.鈥�

Read the full story from the Canadian Press

Premier Doug Ford is gearing up to remove even more 海角社区官网bike lanes, the Star has learned.

Sources say Thursday鈥檚 provincial budget legislation will include the removal of the bike lanes on Queen鈥檚 Park Crescent, around the legislative precinct, and on Avenue Road south of Davenport Road.

That鈥檚 on top of the bikeways slated for demolition on University Avenue, Yonge Street and Bloor Street West.

Read Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie’s story from Wednesday