Policy Win: Ontario Takes Action on Engineering Mobility

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) celebrates a major policy milestone with the Government of Ontario’s introduction of the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act. This legislation represents a significant step forward for the engineering profession, as it begins to address long-standing interprovincial labour mobility barriers that have limited opportunities for some engineers and other regulated professionals.

Premier Doug Ford, alongside Minister Vic Fedeli and the premiers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, announced the initiative as part of a broader plan to unlock internal trade and reduce the estimated $200 billion annual cost of interprovincial barriers in Canada. The goal: enhance economic resilience, expand opportunity, and improve mobility across Canada.

Engineering is a self-regulated profession in Canada. While engineering education is nationally accredited through Engineers Canada and some frameworks for licensure are shared across provinces, each province and territory maintain independent authority over licensure. This means engineers who meet rigorous academic and experience requirements may still face inconsistent administrative processes when applying in various jurisdictions as well as maintaining the licensing requirements between these jurisdictions.

New memorandums of understanding (MOUs) signed between Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick do not explicitly mention engineering, but in our discussions with Premier Ford and various Ministers, the government’s broader commitment to labour mobility and credential recognition does indeed include Professional Engineers. OSPE is actively monitoring the rollout of this legislation to ensure that the interests and voice of Ontario’s engineers are included in the path forward.

Key Highlights of the New Measures:

• Credential Recognition Across Provinces: A commitment to reduce duplication and streamline certification for regulated professionals, improving flexibility and responsiveness in the labour market.
• Ontario Together Trade Fund: A $50 million investment to help businesses expand interprovincial markets and rebuild supply chains.
• Red Tape Reduction Simplified licensing and credentialing processes for skilled workers, including engineers, healthcare professionals, and tradespeople.
• Reciprocity Frameworks: Encourages other provinces and territories to engage in mutual recognition agreements.

Premier Ford has urged all provinces to join Ontario in modernizing Canada’s approach to labour mobility and internal trade.

OSPE’s Role in Advancing Mobility

OSPE has long advocated for the removal of interprovincial barriers to engineering licensure. We have consistently called on both federal and provincial governments to modernize regulatory frameworks and enable engineers to practice where their expertise is most needed.

This legislation reflects many of OSPE’s ongoing recommendations, including:

• The creation of clear and transparent pathways for cross-provincial licensure.
• National harmonization of engineering standards through collaboration with regulators, including the possibility of creating a National Engineering Licence.
• Consultation with engineers in the development of labour mobility and trade policies, as well as resolving supply chain issues.

The government’s broader commitment to consult on cross-border mobility with the United States -initially focused on healthcare- also offers a potential framework for future discussions about engineering mobility between Canada and its trading partners, especially those who Engineers Canada has signed international mobility agreements through the Washington Accord. As Canada is a net exporter of engineering services, it is vitally important for Canada to honour and maintain these international mobility agreements, so that Canadian Licenced Engineering Professionals are not barred from projects in other jurisdictions.

As Ontario and Canada strengthen and diversify their internal and external trade relationships, engineers will play a central role in designing the infrastructure, technologies, and systems needed to support long-term growth, resilience, and climate adaptation.

OSPE will continue engaging with the governments of Ontario and Canada to ensure that engineers are included and prioritized in ongoing discussions about labour mobility, credential recognition, and trade modernization.

We will also continue to advocate for a national alignment of engineering licensure standards, ensuring a fair, efficient, and competitive landscape for engineering professionals across Canada.