EZSMART Corp, ESA/ECRA #7012690 , North York , Ontario
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Many older Ontario homes — especially those built before the 1960s — have two-wire electrical systems with no ground wire at the ceiling box. If you’re replacing a fixture and find only black and white wires, you’re not alone. Here’s what the code actually permits and how to install safely without a ground wire.
The ground wire provides a low-resistance fault path — if the hot wire touches a metal fixture body, the ground carries that fault current back to the panel and trips the breaker instead of energizing the fixture housing. Without a ground, a metal fixture with a wiring fault can sit at line voltage, delivering a shock to anyone who touches it.
Under Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority rules, replacing a light fixture in an existing ungrounded box is permitted without adding a ground — provided the new fixture is a Class II double-insulated type (construction where no internal component can contact the housing). Most modern light fixtures, especially those with plastic or glass bodies and no exposed metal parts, qualify as Class II.
For fixtures with metal bodies or exposed metal parts, grounding is required. Options include: running a ground wire back to the panel (the proper fix), connecting the fixture ground to a metal box that is grounded through continuous metal conduit, or using a GFCI-protected circuit, which provides personal protection equivalent to grounding under the Canadian Electrical Code.
The most practical fix in an older home is to install a GFCI breaker for the lighting circuit, then cap the fixture’s ground wire at the box. This meets code requirements for personal protection without rewiring the entire circuit. A GFCI breaker costs $40–$80 and protects every outlet and fixture on that circuit. The second option — running a new grounding conductor from the box back to the panel — is the permanent fix but requires opening walls or fishing wire through finished ceilings.
We install a lot of fixtures in older Toronto homes with two-wire wiring, and the GFCI breaker route is almost always the right answer when a homeowner wants a metal fixture in an ungrounded box. It’s cleaner than leaving the ground floating, fully code-compliant, and provides real protection. Just make sure the GFCI breaker is labelled “GFCI Protected / No Equipment Ground” on any outlets on the same circuit — required by code, and a 2-second sticker job. Labels ship with every GFCI breaker.
Replacing a fixture in an older home and not sure about the grounding situation? Call us at 416-838-9006 or visit our contact page — we work in older homes across the GTA every week.
Electrician Since 2008 Journeyman Electrician Designated Master Electrician at EZSMART Corp
