Bill 118 explained in plain English
Buddhist Heritage Month Act, 2026
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 44th Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 118 proclaims the month of May as Buddhist Heritage Month in Ontario.
Bill 118 is a private members' bill that would declare May as Buddhist Heritage Month in Ontario each year. The bill recognizes the Buddhist faith and its contributions to Ontario's cultural, social, and spiritual life. According to the bill, there are over 300,000 Buddhists in Canada, with more than half living in Ontario. The bill notes that Buddhists have contributed to Ontario for over 100 years and have promoted interfaith harmony and community services. May is chosen because many Buddhists celebrate Vesak in that month, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and final Nirvana of Gautama Buddha. If passed, the bill would take effect on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Proclaims May as Buddhist Heritage Month in Ontario each year
- Recognizes the Buddhist faith, its traditions, and contributions to Ontario's spiritual and cultural landscape
- Acknowledges Vesak, celebrated by many Buddhists in May, which commemorates Gautama Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and final Nirvana
- Recognizes services provided by Ontario's Buddhist communities, including mindfulness programs, support for vulnerable populations, and interfaith dialogue
- Buddhist communities in Ontario
- Ontario residents who observe or recognize Buddhist Heritage Month
- Schools, workplaces, healthcare facilities, and community centres that may participate in Buddhist Heritage Month observances
- No specific obligations or enforceable rights are created by this bill; it is a proclamation establishing May as Buddhist Heritage Month
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (date to be determined)
- The bill does not specify what activities or observances are required or recommended for Buddhist Heritage Month
- The bill does not create new funding, programs, or services; it is a symbolic proclamation
- The bill is currently at First Reading and has not yet passed
- The bill does not specify how or whether government ministries must acknowledge or promote Buddhist Heritage Month
A new Ontario law that establishes May as Buddhist Heritage Month each year
Source: Section 1
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced