Ontario legislature to take 14-week winter break, following 19-week summer break

TORONTO — Ontario’s legislature is set to take a 14-week winter break, less than two months after resuming from a 19-week summer break, a move opposition politicians call undemocratic and “crazy.”

Members of provincial parliament typically resume sitting at Queen’s Park after the holidays in mid-February, following Family Day. But on Thursday, the last day of sitting this year, government House leader Steve Clark said the legislature won’t be back until March 23.

It is important that politicians go back to their ridings, hear from their constituents and do work to implement the legislation they have passed, Clark said after the last question period.

“I think it’s acceptable, when you look at the tremendous amount of legislation that we were able to drive forward.”

The short, seven-week fall session came after a summer break that spanned early June to mid-October, which came after a six-week spring session following the provincial election. In all, the Ontario legislature sat for 51 days in 2025.

Opposition politicians say a dearth of legislative time is bad for democracy and accountability.

“That’s crazy,” Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser said after learning the return date.

“We’re all going to be working, we’ll be travelling (the province), but the reality is, there’s a Skills Development Fund that we need to get to the bottom of. … We’ve got to get to the bottom of this, and the best way is in there, and if the minister of labour has to stand up another 100 times before it gets fixed, then let’s just get started.”

The opposition parties have been focused in recent weeks on pressing Labour Minister David Piccini on the fund. The auditor general found the fund is not fair or transparent, and the minister’s office has been heavily involved in choosing successful applicants, often over the advice of bureaucrats.

One Skills Development Fund recipient, Keel Digital Solutions — which the minister has said received a lower score — is being closely scrutinized by critics, as media reports say one of its lobbyists is a close friend of Piccini’s.

The Ontario Provincial Police are now investigating funds that company received from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for student mental health services.

Clark touted the productivity of the fall session, noting that 12 government bills were passed. The government limited debate or fast-tracked all of them in some way.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said it’s another example of the government ducking democracy.

“They have a short sitting and they fast-track all their bills and they don’t give people an opportunity to give input on legislation. That undermines democracy and it means the premier is not being held accountable,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2025.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press