The Kealey Commission

Ontario had its first Condominium Act in 1967 and it was less than 15 pages long. Various amendments were made in 1970, 1972, 1973 and in 1974.

Condominiums were rife with problems and disputes and in response, the Ontario government created the Ontario Residential Condominium Study Group (the Kealey Commission) in 1977.

Terms of reference
This Study Group was established to investigate residential condominiums, identify the main problems and to suggest recommendations.

Methodology
The Study Group held eleven public hearings throughout Ontario and received 280 briefs, of which 234 were written submissions and they heard from all interested parties including condominium directors and individual owners.

These public hearings were heavily publicized and thousands of letters mailed inviting written submissions.

Ontario Condominium Conference
The first provincial-wide conference held for condo corporations, management firms, lenders, developers and associations in Ontario was held in Toronto on 18-19 February 1977.

Results
Many of their recommendations made it into the new Condominium Act (1978) that was proclaimed in June 1979 which was the first time the Act mentioned financial statements and auditors.

Sections 56 & 57
These two sections of the new Act are very interesting because they dealt with the establishing of a bureau that would:
1.
Advise and assist the public with condominium matters.
2.
Assist with Dispute Resolution (with appeal possible to the Commercial Registration Appeal Tribunal but no further into the courts) with the power to give binding orders for disputes between condo corporations and unit owners or between unit owners.
3.
Education on the financial, operating and management practices of condominiums.
4.
assist in the forming and conducting of educational courses for condominium management.

Proclamation delayed indefinitely
Sections 56 & 57 were delayed because of legal actions relating to the dispute resolution and the funding of the bureau by condo owners and were never implemented.

Condominium Ontario

However, the provincial government established Condominium Ontario, a non-profit organization and provided it with senior staff and funds. As an interim measure it offered an information, advisory and educational services.

Funding by the Ontario government ceased on 31 October 1981 and since the proposed funding by annual fees levied on condo corporations didn't happen, Condominium Ontario was terminated.

Source: Accounting and Auditing Guidelines for Ontario Condominium Corporations—April 1982

Could this happen once again with Condo Office?—editor

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