With 2021 behind us, a number of new rules and regulations are set to take effect this year. Some of the changes include minimum wage hikes, plastic bag bans and soft drink taxes.
Below are just some of the new rules and regulations set to come into effect federally and provincially in 2022:
Ban on conversion therapy
Federal legislation banning conversion therapy received a royal assent on Dec. 8, but will not come into force until Jan. 7, 2022, 30 days after the bill became law.
The new law will make conversion therapy, a practice that seeks to change someone’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or their gender identity to cisgender, punishable by up to five years in prison. Anyone found to be promoting, advertising, or profiting from providing the practice could face up to two years in prison.
Ban on single-use plastics
A federal ban on single use plastics was promised by the end of 2021, but in November the government announced the ban would be delayed to sometime in 2022.
The ban includes six single-use plastic items, including checkout bags, cutlery and straws.
End to fossil fuel financing
The federal government announced at COP26 this year that it would stop new direct public finance for coal, oil and gas development by the end of 2022 and shift that investment to renewable energy projects.
The United States, United Kingdom and 21 other nations also joined the pledge.
Changes to carbon tax refunds
Beginning in July, rebates issued to residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, due to the increased costs of carbon pricing will be issued quarterly, instead of annually.
Milk container refund
In February, containers for milk and milk alternatives are joining B.C.’s list of products eligible for a refund, similar to cans and bottles.
The province estimates the program will help it recycle 40 million more containers each year.
Paid sick leave
Beginning on Jan. 1, part-time and full-time employees in British Columbia are entitled to five days of paid sick leave.
Day care prices to drop
As part of a $3.8 billion deal with the federal government, Alberta’s day care fees will be cut in half -- on average -- beginning on Jan. 1,with the goal of reaching $10 per day childcare by 2025.
The deal is also expected to create some 40,000 new spaces for non-profit childcare in the province.
New area code
Alberta will welcome its fifth area code, 368, on April 23.
The new code will only be issued once the province runs out of numbers on the existing area codes and will not affect existing phone users.
Mandatory smoke detectors
Beginning on July 1, all residential buildings in Saskatchewan will be required to have both a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.
The law includes buildings with regular sleeping quarters, such as houses, condos, apartments, townhouses, duplexes, motels and care facilities.
Before this law was introduced, buildings built since 1988 were required to have a fire alarm and buildings built since 2009 were required to have a carbon monoxide detector.
Changes to investigations of human rights complaints
Beginning on Jan. 1, Manitoba is implementing changes to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to allow the department to respond to human rights complaints sooner.
The changes allow the commission’s executive director to dismiss complaints and to decline an investigation into some complaints, as well as setting time limits on hearings and decisions.
Under the current system, it can take up to six years for a human rights complaint to be resolved in Manitoba.
Minimum wage increase
Ontario’s minimum wage is increasing to $15 per hour as of Jan. 1, which critics have said is still not enough to earn a living wage in the province.
Rent hikes are back
Ontario’s rent freeze, a measure meant to help residents during the pandemic, is also slated to end on Jan. 1. The provincial government has set an increase guideline of 1.2 per cent for 2022.
Ease at the pumps?
While gas prices reach all-time highs in the province, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has promised a cut to the gas tax of up to six cents per litre, delivered by March 31.
Changes to the Quebec curriculum
Beginning in the 2022 school year, classrooms in Quebec will begin teaching "Culture and Citizenship in Quebec" instead of the Ethics and Religious Culture program.
The new program focuses on three main aspects: "culture," "citizenship in Quebec," and "dialogue and critical thinking."
The program will be under a pilot program in 2022, before being taught province wide in 2023.
Changes to address youth vaping
New Brunswick is requiring all vape shops to purchase a $100 licence as of Jan. 4, though it will not be enforced until April 1.
The province says the licences will allow for business inspections, will increase accountability and would allow for communication in case of a recall.
Proposed animal protection measures
Though only proposed, New Brunswick is also planning to implement additional animal protection measures on Jan. 1.
The new measures include requiring all dog and cat sellers to provide a valid certificate of health to purchasers, improved tethering standards and adding two new standards for animal care: the NBSPCA Code of Practice for the Care of Dogs and the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Rabbits.
Changes to adoption records
Nova Scotia is introducing changes to adoption records that allow adopted children and birth parents access to their adoption records once they turn 19.
The changes will take effect as early as April.
Minimum wage increase
Effective April 1, Prince Edward Island’s minimum wage is increasing to $13.70 per hour.
The 70-cent increase gives P.E.I. the highest minimum wage in Atlantic Canada.
Soft drink tax
Newfoundland and Labrador is introducing 20-cent-per-litre tax on drinks with added sugars as of September.
The tax is expected to bring in $9 million for the province.
Increased training for new truck drivers
Those wishing to get into the field of truck driving will need to take a mandatory entry-level training program to receive their Class 1 licence, beginning in January.
Before, new truck drivers would only need to pass a practical and theoretical exam to receive the certification.
Ban on single-use plastic bags
Beginning on Jan. 1, single-use plastic shopping bags are banned in Yukon as part of “initial steps towards a broader ban of single-use plastics in the Yukon and reflect feedback received following engagement with Yukoners and Yukon businesses,” according to a news release from the territory.
The territory is also planning a ban on single-use paper bags for Jan. 1, 2023.
New holiday
Nunavut did not recognize Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but it will be a territorial statutory holiday in 2022.
In mid-September, the territorial government said it did not have enough time this year to formally recognize the holiday, but would be ready to do so in 2022.
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A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.
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The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Backlash to decriminalization dominated question period Monday in the B.C. legislature, with the Official Opposition BC United and BC Conservatives calling for the province to end the three-year pilot project.
Auston Matthews scored the winner in the third period and added two assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Monday to even their first-round playoff series 1-1.
Toronto’s police chief has ordered a “full internal review of all aspects of plainclothes policing” following an acquittal in the first-degree murder trial of Umar Zameer.
At least some of the gold bars stolen during the heist at Pearson Airport one year ago was likely melted down in the basement of a Toronto area jewelry store, Peel police tell CP24.com.
Monday, a judge ruled a proposed class-action lawsuit can go forward despite efforts from lawyers representing the archdiocese of Edmonton and a religious order to have it struck down.
Calgary police have released a photo of a man wanted after a deadly shooting in the community of Shawnessy last month.
The largest public hearing in the city’s history is set to get underway Monday morning.
Three children and a driver were taken to hospital after a school bus and a truck collided on Route 400 in Russell, Ont.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating comments made at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday that have received condemnation by federal leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Kevin Willington, 53, of Ottawa has been identified as the victim of a shooting at a home on Birch Avenue on Friday night. Ottawa police said officers responded to a call for a shooting, and the victim died from his injuries at the scene.
A police officer was injured Monday in one of three incidents of drivers crashing their vehicles into a patrol car, Montreal police said.
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Most Montreal merchants greet their customers in French only, but that could soon change as "bonjour, hi" becomes more popular.
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.
The Alberta government is changing existing legislation to lower utility bills in Calgary.
A male youth is dead after an incident near the Halifax Shopping Centre on Monday.
Three people are in hospital with serious injuries after a two-vehicle crash in New Germany, N.S., on Sunday.
Pictures of a poster encouraging people to steal from Loblaw Companies Limited next month on a specific date have been circulating online.
Homeowners in a Manitoba community are cleaning up after being impacted by a natural phenomenon last week.
Marion Street Eatery is set to close its doors for good after over a decade serving up steaming plates of eggs benedict, grilled cheese and brisket hash.
People in Manitoba could soon be able to grow recreational cannabis in their homes.
Members of the Sask. Party claim a recent trip by the leader of the opposition reveals her party's secret support for the federal carbon tax.
The Saskatchewan NDP are calling for the resignation or firing of Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, saying he lied about apologizing for comments he made to a mother whose daughter died.
Canada’s Governor General made her first official visit to Saskatchewan Monday.
A Kitchener man who forgot his laptop on a bus in January says he’s now being asked to pay $750 to get it back from whoever has the device.
Brantford police say one person remains in critical condition after a shooting in Brantford Sunday night.
Andrew Mackay from Guelph says he was left stranded in Florida last year after his flight with Flair Airlines was cancelled without his knowledge.
A Saskatoon mortgage broker says the federal government’s move to help Muslim Canadians get into the housing market by promoting halal mortgages is not such a radical idea — it’s helping families buy their first home without breaking their faith.
A driver caught using vice grips in place of a steering wheel was ticketed Wednesday after being stopped by police on a rural road.
The Saskatchewan Rush are absent from the National Lacrosse League playoffs for a third straight season, a difficult end to an postseason push born out of a rocky start.
It was a sad scene at Tom Davies Square in Sudbury on Monday morning, where a man was being sentenced for a crash that killed a North Bay woman who was driving to her wedding shower.
The investigation into how a train moving through the City of London caught fire has been turned over to the CP Rail police. Just before 11 p.m. on Sunday, London fire received multiple 911 calls about an eastbound train on fire, crossing over Oxford Street.
Police officials in Sudbury say they received a complaint that a youth was approached by an individual asking for sexual favours and exposing himself on a city walking trail.
The investigation into how a train moving through the City of London caught fire has been turned over to the CP Rail police. Just before 11 p.m. on Sunday, London fire received multiple 911 calls about an eastbound train on fire, crossing over Oxford Street.
A pair of city councillors want a feasibility study completed before deciding the location and parameters of a pilot project to provide free bus passes to high school students.
A man charged with stabbing a driver several times pleaded guilty to the incident Monday in a London, Ont. courtroom.
Huntsville OPP charged a driver for going the wrong way on Highway 11 and colliding with a transport vehicle.
The Barrie Police Service Human Trafficking Unit were called after a woman was allegedly assaulted by a man she had met through a texting app.
A destructive fire broke out in a barn on Monday afternoon at Flos Rd 8 in Springwater.
The City of Windsor Parks Department will be working on improvements to a couple of Windsor parks over the next few weeks, including more lights on the riverfront.
City employees are not being compensated fairly and want more flexibility to work from home, according to the head of the union representing more than 1,300 City of Windsor workers.
The City of Windsor is moving into the third phase of its truck route study in an ongoing effort to help modernize and update the truck route network to adapt to changing city requirements.
Mounties searching for a driver who struck and killed a woman on Vancouver Island last week released new details about the suspect vehicle Monday.
Authorities on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border resumed search efforts Monday to find two men who went missing while kayaking off Vancouver Island over the weekend.
The B.C. government says legislation formally recognizing the Haida Nation's Aboriginal title over Haida Gwaii was introduced in the legislature Monday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
A banana ball python that was stolen from a Kelowna pet store on Saturday has been returned unharmed, Mounties said.
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
The City of Lethbridge is calling the first year of its curbside organics waste collection program a success.
Coaldale RCMP are looking for the public's help to locate a suspect in a hit-and-run in a McDonald's parking lot earlier this month.
An agreement to protect a sprawling ranch in southern Alberta from development is the largest of its kind in the country, the Nature Conservancy of Canada says, and will allow the family that owns it to continue raising cattle there.
Nearly a hundred people dedicated to saving the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA from closure gathered in front of the facility in a showing of support.
Hundreds of drivers were charged in a recent three-day commercial motor vehicle blitz conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police and Ministry of Transportation.
The United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin Anishnaabe Police announced Monday it is creating its first full-time drug enforcement unit on the island.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says two people were found dead and four others survived after a boat capsized off the west coast of Newfoundland.
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
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A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is raising eyebrows anew over his carbon pricing stance, refusing to say today whether or not he would keep scheduled increases in place if he becomes prime minister.
Canada is seeking to get a better handle on how much plastic is being produced in the country by forcing companies that make it to report annually on what they produce.
The Manitoba government is funding mental health support for first responders, following the recent death of a Winnipeg firefighter.
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Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
For the first time in five months, NASA engineers have received decipherable data from Voyager 1 after crafting a creative solution to fix a communication problem aboard humanity’s most distant spacecraft in the cosmos.
Biologists, cognitive scientists and philosophers across the globe say there is a reasonable possibility the vast majority of creatures on Earth are sentient in some way.
Taylor Swift's latest album, 'The Tortured Poets Department,' which dropped on Friday, became the most-streamed album on its first day across Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.
Victoria Beckham, the fashion designer once known best as Posh Spice, celebrated her 50th birthday this weekend in London, where she was joined by her former Spice Girls bandmates.
North Korean animators may have helped create popular television cartoons for big Western firms, including Amazon and HBO Max, despite international sanctions on North Korea, a research report has found.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan says he has appointed an Industrial Inquiry Commission to dig deeper into the underlying causes of B.C.'s port strike last summer.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block Coach parent Tapestry's US$8.5 billion deal to buy Michael Kors owner Capri, saying it would eliminate 'direct head-to-head competition' between the flagship brands of the two luxury handbag makers.
The gap between the highest earners and lowest income groups last year was at its widest since 2015 as the wealthiest households saw income grow much faster than lower-income Canadians.
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
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The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Connor Hellebuyck made sure he did one important thing while winding down Sunday after the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-6 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. The favourite to win this season's Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie made sure his recovery included replenishing his fluids.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
Ford recalled more than 55,000 trucks and SUVs over a battery detection issue, according to a Transport Canada recall notice.
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Gas prices are once again on the move in B.C.’s Lower Mainland but this time in the other direction.
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