The Fund will encourage and accelerate transformation across government by supporting innovative ideas and providing opportunities to pilot new technologies.

The province will provide residents with support of up to 20 per cent of eligible Ontario tourism expenses to encourage them to safely discover Ontario in 2021, which they are coining as “the year of the Ontario staycation”. This new funding includes an additional $150 million to double the Province’s commitment to the ICON program, as well as other regional initiatives that target unserved and underserved communities. Ontario’s budget provides $15 billion in new spending, bringing the government’s total COVID-19 response supports to $45 billion over three-years. Since March 11, over 20,000 field visits were conducted by ministry inspectors; Providing $461 million in temporary wage increases, effective October 1, 2020, for over 147,000 personal support workers (, Building on the $3.8 billion investment over 10 years for the Mental Health and Addictions (, Providing $380 million to parents through another round of payments, following the $378 million of funding in March of $200 per child up to age 12 and $250 per child and youth with special needs up to age 21, through the Support for Learners initiative. Seniors would be eligible regardless of their incomes and whether they owe income tax for 2021. In addition to ensuring stability, maintaining the program envelope will allow for a further $5 million in support to be targeted to Northern and rural municipalities with challenges, including rural farming communities. The Province is investing an additional $60 million over three years, starting in 2020–21, in the Black Youth Action Plan (BYAP). That program will cost the province $380 million, on top of the $378 million spent earlier this year. $15.2 Billion, Support – Support for People and Jobs The accompanying legislation will amend 44 existing laws, including a change that the province says will help it establish online gambling and make permanent a … The province says it will subsidize a portion of hydro rates for medium and large commercial and industrial businesses. For example, this means a family with three young children (one of whom has special needs) would receive $1,300 in 2020 to support costs related to educational supplies and technology. Below are some highlights of interest to the library and information management community: The Province is investing $100 million over two years to develop a Community Building Fund that supports community tourism, cultural and sport organizations, which are experiencing significant financial pressures due to the pandemic. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) is a 10-year program that provides up to $30 billion in total funding, including $10.2 billion in provincial funding across the program’s four streams: Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure; Green Infrastructure; Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure, and Public Transit. Combined with its prior commitments, this new funding increases Ontario’s investment in broadband to nearly $1 billion over six years beginning 2019–20. Investments will be allocated to community, culture and recreational projects such as community centres and cultural and recreational facilities, which is intended to deliver vital services for communities and improve the quality of life for the people of Ontario. This pillar includes $4.8 billion in new supports for recovery efforts that will be built on over time. More recently, the federal government announced a new temporary COVID‑19 Resilience stream. Funding for municipalities and not-for-profit sport and recreation organizations to make investments in infrastructure rehabilitation and renovation, in order to meet public health protocols and local community needs. Proposing the new Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit for the 2021 taxation year — a 25 per cent credit on eligible renovations of up to $10,000 — to help seniors stay in their homes longer by making their homes safer and more accessible.

The Province’s capital plan requires a strong skilled trades and professional workforce. September showed a strong recovery in employment, however, unemployment remained elevated at 9.5 per cent. The government understands the importance of stability for municipalities during these uncertain times, which is why the $500 million envelope and structure of the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) are being maintained for 2021. As a first step under this updated framework, the government announced support in July 2020 for York University’s Markham Centre Campus. The Province is partnering with the federal government to provide over $1 billion in funding to support health and safety through the accelerated delivery of priority municipal infrastructure projects as well as investments to retrofit schools and long-term care homes. To help companies maintain their tax credit eligibility and provide some stability, the Province is proposing to temporarily extend timelines and amend some requirements for the cultural media tax credits, the highlights of which are provided in. The Province is encouraging the federal government to increase and accelerate funding for broadband projects and to collaborate with Ontario to maximize funds available. This dedicated funding will help more workers and job seekers get advice, training and other assistance they need to upgrade their skills and find good jobs. Read more: Ontario is investing an additional $60 million over three years starting in 2020–21 in the Black Youth Action Plan, doubling its base funding to extend the current program and create a new economic empowerment stream that will support Black youth in achieving social and economic success.