No, to the best of our knowledge this is just a rumor and it is not true that you will need to be 18 years of age to apply for a G1 in Ontario, Canada starting in 2009.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) states that the Ministry of the Attorney General reviewed all Ontario laws that set a minimum age requirement and are not going to raise the minimum age limit to obtain a license in Ontario. This review was done to ensure they obeyed provisions prohibiting age discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights. After this review, the government decided to maintain 16 years as the minimum legal age for many "adult" activities in Ontario, such as leaving school, working full-time, and driving.

The Ministry of Transportation agrees that the average 16 year-old has sufficient maturity and judgement to handle the responsibility of driving. Nevertheless, they as the licensing authority are concerned by the number of collisions involving young people and inexperienced drivers. That is one reason they note that they introduced the Graduated Licensing System in 1994.

If you live in Ontario, Canada you must be at least 16 years old and pass a vision test and a test of your knowledge of the rules of the road and traffic signs. After you pass these tests, you will get a Class G1 or M1 licence and a driver information package for new drivers. You must pass two road tests to become fully licensed.

For more information on the guidelines of the graduated licensing system you can read our articles about the G1 and G2 Ontario licenses.