Ontario’s leading condo associations are calling on the provincial government and industry regulators to reform legislation and create better resources for safer condo communities in light of the events at Bellaria Residences in Vaughan this past December,

The Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario, the Canadian Condominium Institute’s Toronto Chapter, and the Community Associations Institute Canadian Chapter offered their expertise for advancing this process in a joint statement released last week.

“Condominiums are a microcosm of society governed by volunteer directors who are legally mandated to enforce the governing documents of the condominium corporation and endeavour to protect all of the residents within their community. To do so, they take the advice of various professionals and attempt to investigate and address the unique issues and concerns of their owners,” the trio stated.

“Disputes are not uncommon and can be particularly complex and challenging to resolve in condominiums because parties to a dispute must continue to live near each other and regularly encounter one another in common spaces. In some cases, even when every effort has been made to resolve a conflict, no remedy can be found that leaves all parties satisfied. Litigation is a last resort, and evictions in a condominium are extremely rare and only pursued when the community is deemed to be at risk.”

There is growing concern that the recent shooting could scare away condo directors from getting involved in disputes or even serving on a board.

“This would be unfortunate as the 12,400+ condominium corporations in Ontario necessarily rely on the service of volunteers to provide governance to their communities,” the associations further stressed. “Minimizing the risk of personal harm on a condominium’s property is a critical focus, but unfortunately there are inadequate community resources available to help de-escalate conflicts.”

The organizations have jointly committed to:

• Continue identifying areas for legislative reform to better protect personal safety in condominiums and educate government agencies about how best to minimize risk for condominium communities.
• Continue identifying additional appropriate resources relating to mental health and conflict de-escalation to support condominium corporations in the future. This may include better educating other organizations about the unique challenges in condominiums.
• Continue developing and offering additional educational programming for our members to ensure that the condominium market has the best possible information available. Proactively supporting our membership and community through education, networking events, and advocacy.