In April 2016, Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government introduced the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Act. If the legislation is passed, it will require workers to join a new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, if they are not already members of a comparable workplace pension plan. The legislation claims that its new pension plan will offer a lifelong, inflation-indexed stream of income with up to 15% of an individual’s pre-retirement earnings. All employees between 18-70 will be required to join the ORPP if they are not already covered by a comparable plan. Enrolment is scheduled to begin in January 2017 and the collection of contributions will be phased in starting in January 2018.

Ontario notes that current federal income tax and pension rules prevent the self-employed and non-crown federally regulated workers (i.e. those who work in banks, telecommunications, railways, or air transportation) from joining, although the province says it is in discussions with the Federal government about making changes that would make their participation possible.  The Ontario Ministry of Finance is still working on the plan design and more details will be revealed when the accompanying regulations are published this summer.