Ontario has recently announced the appointment of the Honourable J. Douglas Cunningham, QC as a special advisor to review protections for buyers of new homes and identify opportunities to further improve protection measures for consumers.

Justice Cunningham is a former Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. In his role as special advisor, he will conduct a public, independent review of the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act and the Tarion Warranty Corporation. His final report will provide recommendations on how to improve consumer protection, accountability, transparency and board governance.

Tarion holds responsibility for enforcing the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act of 1976, which deals with new home warranty protections and builder regulation. New homes must be enrolled in the statutory home warranty program and builders must be registered with Tarion, whether they are being built for resale or under contract with an owner. Tarion has recently enhanced its warranty coverage and improved its enforcement against illegal building, and Justice Cunningham’s report aims to further these improvements.

“It is important that government continually review policies and programs to ensure consumers are benefitting from strong consumer protection measures,” said David Orazietti, Minister of Government and Consumer Services, in a press release. “Justice Cunningham has the expertise, experience and sound judgment that is critical for this review. We look forward to his recommendations, which will help improve protection for owners of new homes in Ontario.”