Ontario Releases 2026 Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario

Ontario’s 2026 budget, A Plan to Protect Ontario, continues the province’s commitment to growth supportive infrastructure investment. For OSSGA members, the budget signals continued demand for aggregate across a range of provincial projects.

The government’s 10‑year capital plan is valued at more than $210 billion, including $37 billion in 2026–27, which it describes as the largest annual allocation to date. However, this represents a decrease from the $223.1‑billion, 10‑year capital plan included in the 2025 budget, as reported by the Financial Accountability Office.

Despite this, the province maintains a substantial infrastructure pipeline focused on transportation and housing‑supporting infrastructure.

The province plans to invest $31 billion over 10 years in highways, with work underway on projects such as Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, the expansion of Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, the twinning of the Garden City Skyway and upgrades along Highway 401. Northern Ontario will also see continued investment through corridor widening on Highways 11/17 and 69, bridge replacements and more. These projects collectively represent significant demand for aggregates.

Ontario is also moving ahead with $63 billion in transit spending over 10 years, including major projects such as the Ontario Line, Yonge North Subway Extension, Scarborough Subway Extension, Finch West LRT, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, Hamilton LRT and GO rail expansion. These initiatives likewise require large volumes of aggregate for tunnelling, track support, station construction and structural concrete.

To support housing development, the government has expanded the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, funding road, water, wastewater and stormwater systems that will enable new home construction. The program has already unlocked more than 800,000 potential new housing starts, with an additional $700 million allocated to servicing upgrades across 127 municipalities and First Nations communities. These projects rely heavily on aggregates to meet construction and servicing needs.

Overall, Ontario’s 2026 budget indicates a decade of steady construction activity across highways, transit corridors and municipal infrastructure. These projects will continue to depend on a sustainable supply of stone, sand and gravel.

OSSGA will continue to monitor the province’s infrastructure program and engage with key stakeholders to support reliable access to aggregate. We look forward to further commitments to critical infrastructure investment that reinforce Ontario’s long‑term economic and community development goals.