AATO's APPEAL TO ALL PARTIES IN THE 2025 ONTARIO ELECTION

THE APPEAL: The AATO and its members across Ontario urge the next government to quickly bring forward a "practice act" for Architectural Technologists in Ontario that:

• Establishes a new regulatory body for Architectural Technologists,
• With modern regulatory tools that enable effective regulation of the profession in the public interest ; and
• With a scope of practice similar to what the profession has in other jurisdictions and that allows Architectural Technologists to practise to their full competencies.

BACKGROUND

Architectural Technologists, Architectural Technicians, Registered Building Technicians, Registered Building Technologists and its French equivalents are regulated at this time by the AATO under the Association of Architectural Technologists of Ontario Act which came into being in 1996, almost 30 years ago.

That Act has become seriously outdated. It does not reflect changes in technology and enhancements to the education and training of the professions. It restricts the practice of the professions to public domain acts. It does not provide the modern regulatory tools needed to regulate the profession effectively in the public interest.

Much has changed since that Act came into force in 1996. Technology has changed and the education and training of Architectural Technologists have been substantially enhanced. Today's Architectural Technologists are fully competent to do much more than the limited scope of practice allowed by the old Act.

Ontario has fallen behind other jurisdictions, such as the UK, in what Architectural Technologists are allowed by legislation to do.

A modernized Act would enable Architectural Technologists to make a larger contribution to the achievement of public policy priorities in building more housing, long-term care homes and infrastructure projects.

A modernized Act would provide a larger pool of, additional choice , and greater competition among professionals to governments, developers, builders and the public-at-large in the design and approval of construction projects.