Major Access To Information And Privacy Reform Comes To Ontario

Bill 97 (the Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2026) will introduce significant amendments to Ontario's freedom of information and privacy framework by updating both the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). For municipal institutions, school boards, colleges and universities, hospitals, and Crown agencies, these reforms are best understood as a legislative response to sustained operational pressure under the existing access and privacy regime.

Institutions across these sectors are managing increasing request volumes; broader and more complex electronic records; repeat, overlapping and AI-driven requests; and heightened expectations around speed and completeness – often without additional resources or structural support. Bill 97 reflects an acknowledgment that the previous framework, while well‑intentioned, was increasingly difficult to administer consistently and