New year, new changes for Ontario residents

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The new year will bring a series of changes for Ontario residents. The provincial government is scrapping the debt retirement charge on hydro bills saving homeowners over $5 a month, but they are also saying goodbye to a 10% discount program that saved customers about $200 a year.

The new year means testing out the future. You could see a few driverless cars on provincial roadways as companies have been given the green light to test their technologies. For drivers behind the wheel, a break in auto insurance if you buy and install winter tires on all four wheels.

Another change for drivers, the rules surrounding crosswalks. Drivers and cyclists will have to wait until the pedestrian has made their way across the roadway before they move forward. If they don’t and they’re caught they face a fine of $150- $500. I’ts important to note that this rule does not apply at an intersection with traffic lights.

New smoking policies begin New Year’s day. Smoking will be prohibited on hospital grounds and psychiatric facilities and there will be a ban on selling e-cigarettes and flavoured tobacco to minors. The ban on vaping in public places which was supposed to go into effect January 1st has been delayed.