Today, the Government of Ontario made regulatory amendments under the Condominium Act, 1998 (Condo Act) which extend the effective period of temporary legislative provisions permitting condo corporations to call and hold meetings virtually without the need for a by-law. The effective period of these temporary legislative provisions has now been extended to September 30, 2023.
The Ministry will continue to explore potential comprehensive permanent changes under the Condominium Act, that better reflect the digital age and allow for broader participation, hopefully before the expiry of the next extension period ending September 30, 2023.
So what do you need to do now? For now, nothing needs to be done. If you have already started the process of getting a by-law in place to permit e-voting and virtual meetings, you may choose to continue with that process, or you may put it on hold for now and wait to see whether permanent changes will be introduced over the coming year.
Also good news about getting agreements/consents from owners to send notices by email. This extension also applies to notices. This means you do not need to get agreements/consents from owners and can continue to send all notices by email to owners. Of course if you do not have an email address for that owner, you will still be required to send the notice by mail.
The Ministry has listened to the stakeholders and members of our industry who have been corresponding with decision makers on this important issue. We are so pleased that our community has come together with an approach that gives owners more flexibility and greater accessibility to the meeting and voting process.
