With the new year comes new rules and regulations are set to take effect both nationally and provincially.

Canada will be banning conversion therapy and single-use plastics.

The ban for conversion therapy will become official on January 7. The new law will make conversion therapy, a practice that seeks to change someone’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or their gender identity to cisgender, punishable by up to five years in prison. Anyone found to be promoting, advertising, or profiting from providing the practice could face up to two years in prison.

As for single-use plastics, there is no current timetable as to when the ban will be implemented, but it is set to include six single-use plastic items, including checkout bags, cutlery and straws.

Last year, the federal government announced at COP26 that it is planning to stop new direct public finance for coal, oil and gas development by the end of the year. The goal is to shift that investment to renewable energy projects.

Something that might catch the eye of residents in Saskatchewan is the change to carbon tax refunds. Beginning in July, rebates issued to residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, will be issued quarterly instead of annually. This is due to the cost of carbon pricing.

Sticking with the province, Saskatchewan will be making smoke and carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in all residential buildings. The law will include buildings with regular sleeping quarters, such as condos, apartments, townhouses, duplexes, motels, and care facilities. The law will be in effect beginning in July.