The eight largest regional governments in Ontario will now have their leaders hand-picked by the province under the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026. The appointed chairs will be given the authority to oversee budgets, hire and fire senior staff and veto bylaws.
The province also plans to reduce the number of regional council seats in Niagara and Simcoe County.
Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack said on April 2, it’s about creating governments that are more nimble, and can move faster when delivering on priorities like fiscal responsibility and new housing, but the Ontario Greens and New Democrats have called the move a serious attack on local democracy.
Local journalist Kinza Zafar is joined by municipal expert and Niagara-based journalist Dean Iorfida, who walks us through these changes and what they could mean for the future of local governance.