Public Information Sessions
“Reality must take precedence over public relations.”
—Richard P. Feynman

Ontario's Condominium Act Review officially started with a series of Public Information Sessions across the province, scheduled one week apart.

Toronto session
The first session was held in Toronto in early September 2012.

The Ministry of Consumer Services spent an hour explaining Stage One of the consultation process that they are going to use to consult with condominium owners and residents along with industry "stakeholders" before drafting proposed changes to the Act.

How the owners will be selected
Ten thousand invitations to participate were sent out to condo residents asking for a couple dozen volunteers to participate in a "Stakeholders Round Table" with associations, builders, developers, condo lawyers, property managers and real estate agents to try to come to a consensus on what changes are required.

After being sorted by age, gender, income, location and type of condo they live in, the owner and renter participants were selected by a lottery. The Round Table produced a Findings Report.

Hon Margarett R. Best told the meeting that the recent government survey showed that condo owners were concerned about:
• condo governance
• disputes
• financial management
• consumer protection
• property management qualifications

The audience was also told that condo owners can email, use Facebook or write a letter to the ministry to express their ideas and concerns.

The ninety-minute meeting was attended by approximately 130 owners out of 250,000 or more that live in the Toronto area.

It was telling that Rosario Marchese MPP who was in attendance, was not invited to say a few words. Only Liberal MPPs spoke to the gathering.

It was clear that the politicians were more interested in selling their consultation process to the owners than they were in listening to the owner's concerns. The ministry spent 60 minutes talking to the audience while allowing the owners only 30 minutes to talk to them.

Mississauga Session
On Wednesday 20 September 2012 the second Information Session was held in Mississauga.

Learning from the owners' displeasure at not being given the opportunity to tell their condo woes at last week's Toronto meeting, the ministry spent only a half hour explaining the consultation process and allowed the 120 owners in attendance an hour to tell the minister of their issues which included:   
• corruption.
• intimidation.
• the fear from receiving lawyer letters.
• boards working in secrecy.
• managers being in cahoots with the contractors.
• the need for a neutral party to monitor board elections.

One condo activist told the meeting that too many owners do not want to be involved in condominium governance. They bought a condo so they can pay a monthly fee and don't do anything.

Minister Margarett Best told the gathering that the ministry was  looking for collaboration and unity from the different stakeholders as in the end, we will all have to work together.
Local MPP Dipika Damerla told the gathering that she sent out worked hard to inform all the condominium owners in the area about this meeting so they can be informed on the the government's consultation process.

She did a good job as there as many participants at the Mississauga meeting as there was at the Toronto one a week earlier.

The third session was held in Ottawa on Thursday 27 September 2012.
MPP Dipika Damerla
Short notice
The ministry gave a week's notice or less of the day and place of their 90 minute meetings. Why this is so is a mystery to me.

It is obvious however that this may limit participation as many people will not hear of the sessions or have time to make arrangements.


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