2022 will see Ontario’s minimum wage go up, along with fines for reckless driving

Minimum wage is going up - as are fines for risky driving.

And with changes to the Ontario Building Code, more tiny homes might also be going up across the province.

These are some of the regulatory amendments in Ontario going into effect in the New Year, which also include a new mandatory sex abuse prevention program for teachers.

Changes to the minimum wage grabbed headlines last November when Premier Doug Ford appeared alongside prominent labour leaders to announce the boost from $14.35 to $15 an hour as of Jan. 1 - after his government had previously cancelled increases.

Workers deserve to have more money in their pockets because they earned it," the premier said at the time, noting it would help more than 760,000 people.

The previous Liberal government had planned to hit $15 an hour in 2019 - and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath noted that had that happened, workers would be $5,300 better off by now.

Starting in January, the province is also hiking fines for offences such as careless and stunt driving, with $250 for a first offence, $350 for a second and $450 for a third within five years when motorists lose their licences.

These penalties are another tool to demonstrate to drivers that high-risk activities like speeding, aggressive driving and street racing are unacceptable and have no place on Ontario's roads," the government said in a statement.

As of Jan. 3, all 130,000 teachers in Ontario and those wanting to teach in the province must take a three-hour online sexual abuse prevention program, free of charge, that was developed with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Current teachers have until the end of August to complete the program, and must earn a grade of at least 80 per cent.

When first announced, education minister Stephen Lecce said it reflected the government's zero tolerance approach to instances of sexual abuse, sending a clear signal that there will be serious consequences.

That is why we mandated this training to existing and future educators to better protect students from any form of abuse or harm."

The college will also be given the authority to issue temporary teacher certificates to student teachers, for the entire year, to help ease staffing shortages.

Among the other changes coming into effect Jan. 1:

• Rowan's Law, which covers concussions and player safety in youth sports. Clubs must now have policies regarding removal from sport and return to play when it comes to head injuries.

• Building Code amendments that will define and facilitate the construction of tiny homes and clarify that remote inspections may be used, to increase flexibility and help increase Ontario's housing supply," the province says.

• Adding wild pigs to the list of regulated invasive species because of their danger to the environment, other animals and farming crops.

• To promote staycation" tourism, a 20 per cent tax credit for travel for Ontarians who visit hotels, campgrounds and cottages in the province, up to $200 for individuals and $400 for families.

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy