New speed limits, student-aid rules and federal tobacco-label requirements are among the changes Durham Region residents should know about in August 2026.
The Ontario August changes will affect drivers using Highway 401 and Highway 115, students beginning postsecondary programs and businesses selling tobacco products.
Some measures begin August 1, while the new Durham highway speed limits take effect later in the month.
Ontario August Changes Include Higher Speed Limits
Two speed-limit increases will directly affect Durham drivers.
Beginning August 21, the posted limit on Highway 115 from Highway 35 to the Parkway Interchange will permanently increase from 100 km/h to 110 km/h.
That section is particularly relevant to drivers travelling through eastern Clarington and between Durham Region and Peterborough.
A larger change takes effect August 31, when the Highway 401 speed limit increases to 110 km/h from Highway 404 in Toronto to Highway 35/115 in Clarington.
The affected Highway 401 section passes through Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa and Clarington, making it one of the most significant August changes for Durham commuters.
Drivers must continue following the speed shown on posted signs. The higher limit does not apply before the new signs are installed and officially take effect.
Ontario says the selected highway sections were reviewed to confirm that they could safely accommodate the higher posted limits. Speed limits on Highways 407, 412 and 418 are scheduled to increase later, on September 30.
New OSAP Rules Begin August 1
Changes to the provincial portion of the Ontario Student Assistance Program apply to programs beginning on or after August 1, 2026.
Under the new structure, students can receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their provincial OSAP assistance as non-repayable grants. At least 75 per cent will be provided as loans that must eventually be repaid.
Students enrolled at private career colleges will no longer receive grants through the provincial portion of OSAP. Their provincial assistance will be offered as loans.
The changes could affect Durham residents attending postsecondary institutions locally or elsewhere in Ontario.
Individual funding amounts will still depend on factors such as tuition, program length, income, family circumstances and whether the student lives at home. Federal student grants are separate from the provincial grant-and-loan split.
Students should review their official OSAP assessment rather than assuming that everyone will receive the same loan percentage or amount.
Ontario is also allowing publicly assisted colleges and universities to increase tuition by up to two per cent annually for three years. Institutions are permitted to increase fees but are not necessarily required to apply the full amount.
Tobacco Warning Messages Enter New Rotation
Federal tobacco-warning regulations also enter a new stage in August.
Canada’s regulations require graphic warnings on packages, health information inside cigarette packages and warning messages printed directly on cigarettes and certain other tobacco products.
The first scheduled rotation of warnings ends July 31, 2026, allowing the next series of warning messages to begin August 1. The rotation system is intended to prevent warnings from becoming too familiar and easier for consumers to overlook.
However, warnings printed directly on individual cigarettes are not a completely new August requirement. King-size cigarette warnings reached retailers in 2024, while regular-size cigarettes and certain other products followed in 2025.
A separate packaging change requires manufacturers to distribute cigarette packages with health information displayed on an extended upper slide-flap beginning July 31. Retailers have until October 31 to sell packages meeting that specific requirement.
These Ontario August changes will be introduced on different dates, so Durham residents should check official government information before making travel, education or business decisions.
