The Ontario government is investing an additional $4 million to help municipalities across southwestern Ontario strengthen emergency preparedness and response related to old and inactive oil and gas wells, as part of the province’s Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Action Plan.
The funding, announced Tuesday by Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris during a visit to the County of Brant, will support nine municipalities in deploying new technologies, upgrading equipment and enhancing training to manage potential public safety and environmental risks linked to abandoned wells.
Ontario has records for roughly 27,000 oil and gas wells, most of them located on private land in southwestern Ontario, many dating back to the mid- to late-1800s and, in some cases, unmapped.
Harris said the scale and age of the infrastructure requires sustained collaboration between the province and municipalities.
“We’ve already seen this funding working across southwestern Ontario,” Harris said in an interview following the announcement.
He pointed to the use of advanced drone technology now being deployed by municipalities, including Brant County, to assess sites that are difficult to access, particularly on private property.
According to Harris, drones equipped with gas detection sensors allow first responders to assess conditions remotely, improving safety and enabling quicker decisions about whether wells need to be capped.
He said the technology also provides greater transparency for residents and landowners by clearly identifying risks within their communities.
The latest $4 million allocation will be distributed to municipalities including the County of Brant, Chatham-Kent, Norfolk County, Lambton County, Oxford County, Elgin County, Haldimand County, Essex County and the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The County of Brant is receiving close to $200,000 in this funding round.
Since the launch of the action plan in 2023, the province has committed close to $10 million to municipal partners for emergency response equipment, training, inter-municipal collaboration and public education related to oil and gas hazards.
Harris said the province has worked closely with communities facing acute challenges, citing Wheatley and Norfolk County, where gas migration and previous incidents have highlighted the risks posed by legacy wells.
He noted that additional funding mechanisms exist outside the current announcement to address urgent situations where immediate well capping is required.
Asked whether the province would maintain long-term support as equipment ages and training needs evolve, Harris said the issue is not temporary.
“This is a problem that’s not necessarily going away anytime soon,” he said, adding that continued funding and strong municipal partnerships are essential to keeping residents safe.
The announcement comes shortly after the passage of the Resource Management and Safety Act, 2025, which strengthens provincial enforcement powers related to oil, gas and resource safety.
Harris said regulations are now being developed to operationalize those powers.
He said the province’s approach prioritizes cooperation with landowners but allows for swift intervention when necessary.
“If we’re not able to work with landowners in certain circumstances, this legislation gives us the tools to act decisively and make sure wells are addressed as quickly as possible,” he said.
Provincial officials emphasized that safety considerations take precedence, with financial responsibility addressed after immediate risks are mitigated.
Where landowners fail to comply with existing orders, the ministry has authority to impose monetary penalties.
The Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Action Plan is part of a broader provincial effort to reduce risks to public safety, groundwater and the environment, particularly in agricultural regions where contamination concerns are significant.
Ontario officials say work under the plan is expected to continue as municipalities expand detection, monitoring and response capabilities in the years ahead.
