Short answer: yes. When Ontario’s modernized WSIB First Aid Program took effect on June 22, 2026, the course names changed — Emergency First Aid became Basic First Aid, and Standard First Aid became Intermediate First Aid — but certificates issued before the change did not stop counting. Your certificate remains valid until the expiry date printed on it.
What changed in June 2026
- Course names: Emergency → Basic; Standard → Intermediate
- Program alignment: the updated program follows CSA Z1210:24, the current national standard for workplace first aid training
- Delivery: blended learning (online theory plus in-person practical) is now expressly part of the program model
- Recertification: Intermediate First Aid can be recertified once — and now with any approved provider, not only the one that issued your original certificate
What didn’t change
Ontario’s workplace first aid regulation itself (Regulation 1101) was not rewritten, and the equivalence is explicit: Basic equals the old Emergency, Intermediate equals the old Standard. If your job posting, program letter or collective agreement still says “Standard First Aid,” an Intermediate First Aid certificate is what satisfies it.
When should you renew?
Workplace first aid certificates are typically valid for three years. Don’t wait for the expiry week — if you hold Intermediate First Aid, you may be eligible to recertify (once, before expiry) rather than retaking the full course. Basic First Aid is retaken in full. If your expiry is approaching, book early; practical sessions fill on a schedule, not on demand.