Articles 2021

Effective January 1, 2021, Ontario Regulation 689/20 substantially amended the Rules of Civil Procedure. In many ways, the changes reflect the reality of litigation in Ontario since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and focus on a technological shift in the nature of litigation, which was both necessary, and needed. Not only do the changes affect litigation under the Construction Act but they will also have an impact on the prompt payment and adjudication provisions therein.

In Chandos Construction v Deloitte Restructuring, the Supreme Court clarified one aspect of bankruptcy law – the scope and application of the anti-deprivation rule – while leaving an unsettled area of contract law – the penalty doctrine – to be resolved for another day. Here, we consider the implications of the newly-clarified anti-deprivation rule as it applies to the construction industry.

Perhaps one silver lining to the COVID-19 Pandemic has been the accelerated implementation of technologically based tools by both the construction industry and the courts to overcome the hurdles arising from the need to maintain “physical distancing’.

On May 11, 2020, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a sweeping order for Canada’s tax authorities to obtain customer information from Roofmart Ontario Inc. (“Roofmart”) to investigate its customers’ tax compliance.

Not all warranty provisions are created equal when it comes to construction contracts. Individual warranty provisions may vary in length of time, scope, and the degree of fault required to trigger those obligations.

These are rapidly evolving and legally unprecedented circumstances which have had, and will continue to have, significant impacts on construction projects. This article considers the potential applicability of force majeure provisions and the doctrine of frustration in the current circumstances.

Tarion Warranty Corporation (“Tarion”) has issued a number of advisories regarding the suspension of certain new home warranty program processes.

In view of COVID-19, on March 20, 2020, the Attorney General of Ontario ordered the suspension of limitation periods and other procedural time periods. The Order is retroactively dated to March 16, 2020.

A summary of important legal information for Ontario businesses in construction to keep in mind during the COVID-19 / coronavirus crisis.