These are the big changes coming to Ontario in 2023

Ontario is making a number of changes in the new year that could impact health care, travel and your wallet.

Here’s what you need to know:

STAYCATION TAX NO MORE

The staycation tax credit will expire at the end of this year.

For 2022, Ontarians were able to get a 20 per cent personal income tax credit on eligible accommodations. Individuals and families were able to get a maximum credit of $200 or $400 respectively as a result.

However, the province’s tourism minister has said the province won't be extending the program another year, saying it was a temporary measure put in place to help the industry recover from the pandemic.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario have both called for the staycation tax to become permanent in order to encourage local travel.

PHARMACIST PRESCRIPTIONS

Ontario pharmacists will be able to fill prescriptions without a doctor’s appointment for 13 of “the most common ailments.”

The Ministry of Health says that as of Jan. 1, 2023, pharmacists can prescribe medication for hay fever, oral thrush, dermatitis, pink eye, menstrual cramps, acid reflux, hemorrhoids, cold sores, impetigo, insect bites and hives, tick bites, sprains and strains, and UTIs.

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The service will be free for Ontario health card holders.

ODSP PAYMENTS FOR THOSE WHO CAN WORK

In February, the province will increase the amount of money someone on Ontario’s Disability Support Program (ODSP) can earn before their benefits are impacted.

The change was announced in the Fall Economic Statement. At that time, the government said that people on ODSP will be able to earn up to $1,000 per month without their benefits being impacted.

Individuals on the program who get more than that amount would keep 25 cents on the dollar.

ODSP recipients should see this change reflected in their March 2023 payments, officials say.

NALOXONE KITS IN HIGH-RISK SETTINGS

Ontario businesses deemed by the government as being a ‘high risk’ setting in which opioid overdoses could take place will be required to have a Naloxone kit on site.

The change is expected to go into effect on June 1, 2023.

The government said it would provide the kits for free for a two-year period. Businesses will be expected to self-evaluate their risk levels.

GAS TAX CUT EXTENDED

The province’s six-month gas tax cut, which was set to expire on Dec. 31, has been extended for another year.

Drivers saw the gas tax cut by 5.7 cents per litre and the fuel tax reduced by about 5.3 cents per litre.

In November the government said it would be extending it until Dec. 31, 2023.

MINIMUM WAGE

The minimum wage will be increasing on Oct. 1; however officials have not yet said by how much.

The province has previously indicated it will make a public announcement on or before April 1, 2023 about future rate increases.

In October 2022, the minimum wage increased by 50 cents.