Do Ontario's posting rules apply to my HVAC company?

They apply to employers with 25 or more employees on the day a job is posted, counting each part-time and casual employee as one and including all Ontario locations. Read the Ontario government's guide and talk to an employment-law professional if you are close to the line.

Can an Ontario HVAC ad require Canadian experience?

Ontario's guide says covered postings can't require Canadian work experience. It also says licensing or registration requirements are not covered by that ban, so you can still ask for the Ontario certificate or gas technician certification a role needs.

What is a Registered Training Agreement?

It is how an apprentice is registered with a sponsor in Ontario. Skilled Trades Ontario says workers in compulsory trades need a Certificate of Qualification, a provisional certificate or a Registered Training Agreement.

Recruiting HVAC Technicians in Ontario

Ontario has more HVAC contractors and technicians than any other province, and since January 1, 2026, it has had specific rules for publicly advertised job postings. For HVAC employers with 25 or more employees, every public ad for a specific role now needs pay information, a vacancy statement and, where it applies, an AI disclosure. Done well, those rules make your ad clearer than most of the competition's.

This is a marketing summary of official sources, not legal advice.

Ontario's HVAC labour market

Natural gas heated 58% of Ontario households in 2023, with electricity at 18% and propane at 4%, according to Statistics Canada. Gas technicians and furnace service techs are the core seats, with growing demand for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics as heat pumps spread.

The market is enormous but uneven. Toronto and the surrounding cities of Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Vaughan form the biggest single pool of HVAC workers in the country, and the fiercest competition. Ottawa, Hamilton and London each have large, distinct markets. Northern Ontario has longer, colder winters and much thinner labour pools.

Ontario employers can also look at our parent network's HVAC.Digital for customer-side marketing in the province.

Ontario's job posting rules

The Ontario government's guide sets out what covered employers must do for postings on or after January 1, 2026. In summary:

Pay: include expected compensation or a range no wider than $50,000 a year (roles above $200,000 a year are exempt from this part)
AI: disclose if artificial intelligence is used to screen, assess or select applicants
Vacancy: say whether the posting is for an existing vacancy
Canadian experience: don't require it, though licensing requirements are still allowed
Follow-up: tell interviewed applicants within 45 days whether a decision has been made
Records: keep postings and application forms for three years

General help-wanted signs, internal-only postings and recruitment campaigns not tied to a specific job are excluded. Our job ad guide explains these in more detail.

Compulsory trades and gas certification

Skilled Trades Ontario says 23 trades are compulsory, including Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic, Sheet Metal Worker, Steamfitter and Plumber. Working in them requires a Certificate of Qualification, a provisional certificate or a Registered Training Agreement, and journeypersons renew each year. Employers who want to take on apprentices can start at the sponsor an apprentice page.

Gas work is different. In Ontario, only fuels contractors registered with the TSSA may do fuels-related work, using certified gas technicians (G1, G2 and G3). So an Ontario gas tech ad should name the G-class, not "gasfitter", which is the term used in most other provinces. Workers' compensation runs through the WSIB. We link these as sources; we don't give compliance advice.

Programs and demand

As of October 2026, Save on Energy's Home Renovation Savings Program is open, with no closure notice on its official pages, and the Energy Affordability Program's oil-to-heat-pump stream is described as available for a limited time. Ontario had no Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program agreement. Programs like these drive heat pump installs, which in turn drive demand for refrigeration-ticketed installers. Confirm current details with the administrator before referencing them.

Seasons and timing

Southern Ontario's winters are cold but moderated near the Great Lakes, with hot, humid summers that make air conditioning a major season. Northern Ontario has longer, colder heating seasons. A typical plan:

February to April: recruit air conditioning installers and refrigeration techs before summer.
July and August: recruit G2 and G3 service techs for the heating season.
Throughout: keep an apprentice pipeline open, timed to college intake and co-op terms.

How we would approach Ontario hiring

Audit live postings against the posting rules if you have 25 or more employees, and add the missing lines.
Use Ontario's naming in every ad: the G-class for gas, Ontario trade names for compulsory trades. See job ad writing.
Build role pages with job-posting markup on your careers section.
In the Toronto area, add targeted recruiting ads, because the competition for employed techs is intense.

See the areas page for other provinces, or call, text or email about an Ontario role.

Recruiting HVAC technicians and apprentices in Ontario