Provincial Election Background Information 2022

Questions

* Please refer to the attached ‘Background Information’ document for more information in relation to each question set out below.

1.        Condominium Act Amendments

Does your party have a plan regarding moving forward to prepare the necessary regulations and to proclaim the outstanding but important amendments to the Condominium Act? 

2.        Green Energy

Does your party have a plan to assist condominiums to migrate to green energy? If so, what incentive(s) would your party offer to condominiums to facilitate the move to green energy? Is your party prepared to have the government pay for a portion of installation costs, or offer other financial incentives? Would incentives offered to homeowners (in the more traditional sense of houses/townhouses) be extended wherever possible to condominium owners?

3.        Mandatory Inspection of High-Risk Buildings

In light of the structural collapse of the condominium in Surfside, and the Elliot Lake Mall collapse, would your government implement any form of mandatory structural inspections of high-risk buildings? 

4.        Affordable Housing

It is convenient to make arrangements with the developers to build these public features in exchange for increased density or other benefits to the developer but ultimately the cost and effort of overseeing them falls to the volunteer board at the affected condominium. What efforts will you or your party make to balance protecting the interests of the future condominium corporations while also seeking to provide affordable housing?

By virtue of their structure, condominiums have a positive impact on increased densification of urban areas versus single family homes. Condominiums contribute to achieving goals set out in Places to Grow legislation. In view of this, what is your party prepared to do to encourage condominium ownership? Is your party prepared to offer incentives to buyers of new and/or resale condominium properties? Logic says that incentives paid to developers would not energize the market in the same way as incentives paid to purchasers.  

5.        Construction Matters

What would you be doing to limit the complexity of condominiums to something that can reasonably be overseen by a volunteer board?

6.        Insurance

What would your party propose to assist condominium owners in having access to reasonably priced property insurance with reasonable deductibles?

7.        Tarion

Will your government be taking steps to monitor the recent changes to Tarion and the HRCA to ensure that they achieve their consumer protection goals. Do you have further plans to modify warranty coverage for Ontario condominiums?

8.        Condominium Managers 

Would your government take steps through the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to encourage growth in the condominium management industry by encouraging students to see management as a career path, and if so what would those steps include?