New rule delays ward-count determination for Niagara Region and Simcoe County until after nomination day for 2026 elections

A new regulation modifies the timing of a specific electoral determination for the Regional Municipality of Niagara and the County of Simcoe. Normally, a determination about council composition under section 275 of the Municipal Act, 2001 must be made before a set point in the election cycle; this regulation delays that determination until after nomination day for the 2026 regular election. This affects the new councils being formed under the restructuring provisions in sections 218.2 and 218.2.1 of the Act. Candidates, municipal clerks, and election administrators in these two municipalities should be aware that the ward or seat count will not be finalized until after the nomination period closes for the 2026 vote.

New regulation sets council size and ward boundaries for three Niagara-region municipalities for the 2026–2030 term

A new regulation establishes the composition of councils for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the City of Thorold, and the City of Port Colborne for the council term beginning in 2026. Each council will have seven members, including the head of council. In Niagara-on-the-Lake and Thorold, all members will be elected by general (at-large) vote. In Port Colborne, the head of council is elected at large while the remaining six members are elected two per ward across three defined wards, whose boundaries are set out in the regulation. The 2026 municipal election must be run as though these structures are already in place. Each municipality retains the ability to change its own council composition through the normal process for elections after 2026.

Deadline for MPPs to choose pension option extended by six weeks

The cut-off date by which Members of Provincial Parliament must make a pension option election under the MPPs Pension Act has been pushed back. The deadline was previously set at June 5, 2026 and has now been moved to July 17, 2026. Current or former MPPs who are required to make a pension option choice under the Act have additional time to do so. Anyone in this situation should ensure they are aware of the new deadline and act accordingly before it passes.

New special election rules for Port Colborne and certain upper-tier municipalities for the 2026 regular election

A new regulation sets out transitional rules for the 2026 regular municipal election in the City of Port Colborne following changes made by the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026. Anyone who had already filed a nomination for a council office (other than head of council) in Port Colborne is deemed to have withdrawn that nomination unless, within 21 days of this regulation coming into force, they notify the clerk of the office they wish to contest, file for a different office, or formally withdraw. The city clerk is required to promptly notify all affected nominees in writing, explain the changes, and provide the required form for indicating a preferred office. Where a candidate switches their nominated office by notifying the clerk, the clerk will issue new spending-limit certificates based on the revised office — the normal re-nomination certificate process does not apply. The regulation also shields clerks in Port Colborne and in specified upper-tier municipalities from compliance orders solely because they acted before or after these changes took effect while managing election administration in good faith during the transition.

Northlander Corridor rideshare pilot regulation loses its title block and sunset-notice header text

A housekeeping amendment removed the regulation's formal title line and the displayed note about the May 2027 revocation date from the top of the consolidated text. The underlying rules governing the rideshare pilot along the Northlander Corridor remain in place; only the header formatting has changed. Operators and drivers participating in the pilot do not need to take any action as a result of this change. Those relying on the consolidated text should be aware the title and sunset reminder no longer appear at the top of the document.