Bill Walker, Ontario’s new minister of government and consumer services, signaled plans to strengthen the province’s condo laws in remarks he delivered last week at the Condo Conference put on by the Canadian Condominium Institute’s Toronto chapter (CCI-T) and Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO). He added that at least one industry stakeholder had informed him of some financial issues she would like to see addressed.
“I am very grateful for both CCI’s and ACMO’s collaboration with our government. Your consultations and feedback will be extremely important as we work to continue to protect consumers by strengthening condo laws,” said Walker. “I want to make sure that you’re aware as well that Sally Thompson’s taken the opportunity to tell me that the work is not done.”
Thompson, president of CCI-T, has previously commented to CondoBusiness that she hopes to see the Progressive Conservatives move forward with legislative reforms that started to roll out under the previous Liberal government. In particular, she said she’s eager to see the implementation of planned provisions that would help establish and maintain adequate reserve funds, which are key to the financial health of condo corporations.
The mandatory licensing and regulation of the condo management industry are among the legislative reforms that started to roll out under the previous government. This is one area where the Progressive Conservatives have taken a step to build on the work of their predecessors. As Walker noted, the provincial government recently moved to introduce a continuing education requirement for condo managers, which it developed with ACMO.
“This will be an essential step in ensuring that Ontario’s condo managers are informed and current on the province’s condominium laws,” said Walker.
Walker also recognized work on the condo file as an important part of strengthening protections for Ontarians as the market grows and more and more people live in condos. Walker was less than two weeks into his new role as minister of government and consumer services when he spoke at the Condo Conference, but he is not new to the world of condos.
“I actually, up until about 20 days ago, was the president of a condo board, so I have a little bit of experience in your world,” said Walker. “I have a bit of appreciation for what you do and certainly look forward to working with you over the years.”
