Ontario’s right-to-repair fight heads to Queen’s Park

Written By Peter Allan

Pile of discarded computers and electronic devices. Photo by John Cameron/ Unsplash.

By Abdul Matin Sarfraz

Nearly two million Ontarians searched online last year for help repairing phones, appliances, vehicles and equipment instead of replacing them — a sign of growing frustration with products that are hard or too expensive to fix, advocates say.

Ontario’s opposition New Democrats are looking to meet the moment with a new “right-to-repair” bill, arguing it could lower costs for households and farmers, cut electronic waste and ease pressure on landfills that are rapidly filling across the province.

Bill 91, the Right to Repair Act, would amend Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act to require manufacturers to provide repair manuals, tools, software updates and replacement parts to consumers and independent repair shops. The bill has passed first reading at Queen’s Park and is now awaiting second reading.

Supporters say many modern products are designed to lock out repairs by restricting access to software, parts and technical information. They argue current provincial laws offer little protection for consumers and farmers seeking affordable independent repairs.

Critics, like the conservative US-based Cato Institute, argue opening up repair software could create safety, environmental and security risks and may not lower costs if manufacturers respond by raising prices or reducing dealer networks, especially in rural areas.

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