Region’s speed cameras go dark as Ford’s ban takes effect

Automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras across Ontario are no longer ticketing people for speeding in school and community zones, including in Waterloo Region.

The municipality was forced to turn off the cameras or start taking them down when Premier Doug Ford’s government passed Bill 56, the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, which includes an amendment prohibiting ASE cameras.

In a press release, the region noted that tickets issued by one of the 28 cameras on or before Nov. 13, 2025, will still be billed to the individual. The tickets may come after the ban was in effect, but the municipality said people are still responsible for paying or disputing them.

Unpaid tickets are sent to the Ministry of Transportation, and outstanding fines will impact the ability to renew licences.

The cameras will not be pulled immediately from regional and municipal roads, the release notes, as they will stay “temporarily to collect traffic speed data.” When that’s complete, signs and cameras will be taken down.

Community safety zones are still subject to higher penalties from police if people are caught. Fines will be doubled when issued by an officer within a designated safety zone, which is usually around schools or places where children, pedestrians and cyclists gather.

“Following the posted speed limit remains one of the most effective ways to prevent vehicle collisions and improve safety for vulnerable road users,” the region said.

Controversial cameras

Ford spent weeks railing against speed cameras, calling them a “cash grab” because of the revenue they generate for municipalities. The measures to ban speed cameras were contained in a red tape reduction bill, which the government fast-tracked, limiting debate and skipping public hearings.

The premier has also said speed cameras don’t work to slow drivers down, but evidence collected by municipalities and Hospital for Sick Children researchers found they do.

More than 20 mayors — including Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett, and Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie — had urged Ford to tweak the program instead of scrapping it entirely, noting that the move means road safety measures in their communities will now be funded by all taxpayers instead of by drivers breaking the law by speeding.

Just days before the ban, Ontario promised to spend $210 million on non-speed camera measures.

An immediate $42 million for measures such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks, roundabouts, new signage and increased police enforcement in school and community zones that had speed cameras will be provided to cities across the province.