October 25, 2010

Ontario Attorney General launches construction lien act consultations

TORONTO

Attorney General Chris Bentley’s office has launched its much anticipated stakeholder consultation on COCA’s proposed amendments to Ontario’s Construction Lien Act.

“We have been working hard on this issue for almost three years and the industry is starting to see tangible results,” said Ian Cunningham, president of COCA (Council of Ontario Construction Associations).

Bentley announced his intention to launch the consultation during COCA’s second annual Construction Day at Queen’s Park in late September.

The consultations will seek input from interested parties until Feb. 28, 2011 on two of COCA’s proposed changes that were not addressed in Bill 68 (Ontario’s Open for Business Act), plus a proposal from the Ontario Association of Architects.

COCA is still seeking the release of project holdback funds for completed work once the statutory holdback period has expired; and the extension of all parties’ lien rights, through to project substantial performance of the main contract, unless there has been an early release of holdback funds.

“This review is very important for Ontario’s construction industry,” said Cunningham. “At a time when workers and businesses can least afford it, monies rightfully owed are not being paid to honest hard-working people because the act is not up-to-date.”

COCA is a federation of 32 construction associations representing approximately 10,000 union and non-union industrial, commercial, institutional and heavy civil contractors employing approximately 400,000 skilled workers in Ontario

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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