April 9, 2026
Silvie Crawford
Executive Director and CEO
College of Nurses of Ontario
101 Davenport Road Toronto, ON
M5R 3P1
Dear Ms. Crawford,
Re: Feedback Regarding the Proposed Automatic Annual Fee Increase Structure
On behalf of Ontario’s 63,000+ Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs), I am writing to provide feedback following the College of Nurses of Ontario’s (CNO) recent member consultations regarding the proposed changes to its mandatory annual fees. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this consultation process; however, we wish to outline several significant concerns regarding the proposal to implement a default annual fee increase averaging 7 percent.
We understand that the CNO must ensure long-term financial stability to effectively fulfill its regulatory mandate. However, we urge the College to carefully evaluate the scale and pace of these increases in light of the current professional and economic realities facing RPNs.
Disparity Between Fees and Salary Growth
The compounding nature of a 7% annual increase is a significant concern, particularly as RPN salaries have not seen increases on a similar scale. RPNs continue to face persistent wage compression, with compensation failing to reflect the increasing complexity of their roles. When combined with a cost of living that continues to rise at a rapid pace, these escalating mandatory fees have major impact on a workforce that is already under considerable financial pressure.
Transparency in Operational Need
A primary concern with the proposed approach is that it moves toward a default increase model. By embedding these adjustments into a schedule that moves automatically, the College is no longer required to explicitly outline the specific operational needs or financial justifications for each increase. We believe that maintaining a transparent process—where the necessity for additional funding is clearly demonstrated to registrants—is vital for professional accountability.
Leveraging Economies of Scale
Ontario continues to see a growing number of registrants each year. With the nursing workforce expanding to record levels—including over 63,000 RPNs (including dually registered) and over 136,000 RNs (including NPs) —the College should be benefiting from significant economies of scale. As the pool of registrants grows, the fixed costs of regulation are distributed across a larger base, which we believe should allow for a more moderated approach to individual fee increases.
We recognize and respect the essential role the CNO plays in protecting the public interest. However, as we collectively focus on the retention of nurses within the province, we urge you to reconsider a model that imposes such a steep and automatic financial trajectory.
We welcome further discussion on how the CNO can meet its financial objectives while remaining sensitive to the economic constraints of Ontario’s RPNs.
Sincerely,
Dianne Martin
CEO, WeRPN