Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government passed Bill 60 on Thursday with a vote of 71 to 43, sparking protests and widespread criticism from tenant advocates, unions and environmental groups.
The legislation shortens the time tenants have to respond to eviction notices and limits their ability to raise issues at the Landlord-Tenant Board. Critics say the changes could leave families more vulnerable to eviction, particularly those relying on social assistance or fixed incomes.
“I’m pissed. Completely pissed,” said Ilse Grills, a leader with the London chapter of ACORN. “It’s undemocratic. It ignores the voices of the people. A lot of our members, including myself, are terrified about how this could affect our housing.”
Grills, a single parent, said she has already faced housing challenges due to delays in social assistance payments. “If they take our difficulties with getting rent paid on time… I’m looking at being on the street, and my child could end up in care,” she said. She also described having to move in with her sister and her husband just to maintain a roof over her child’s head.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called the bill “outrageous” given the province’s growing homelessness crisis. “At a time when 81,000 people in Ontario are experiencing homelessness, this bill threatens more tenants with eviction,” he said.
The bill also allows for partial privatization of municipal drinking water systems, transferring ownership to for-profit corporations. Krista Lang, chair of CUPE’s Ontario Municipal Sector Committee, called the changes “a corporate takeover of the most essential resource on earth.” She said the legislation risks turning water, which is life and survival into a profit stream.
Protests erupted outside and inside Queen’s Park during the vote, with some advocacy groups removed from the legislature gallery. Demonstrators carried signs decrying the government’s prioritization of landlords and corporate interests, while organizers pledged to continue lobbying for tenant protections and public oversight of essential services.
A request for comment from Conservative MPP Rob Flack of London was not returned.
Advocates say they will continue to push for reforms or repeal, warning that Bill 60 prioritizes landlords and corporate interests over vulnerable tenants and public resources.
