Significant updates to Ontario’s Construction Act, aimed at streamlining payments, expanding lien rights for design and engineering professional services, and refining dispute resolution, are on the horizon, though their official proclamation date remains uncertain, legal experts told an industry audience last Wednesday (April 16).

Speaking at the Ottawa Construction Association (OCA) symposium, construction lawyers Dan Leduc of Soloway Wright and Andrew Ferguson of MBC Law detailed a raft of amendments awaiting proclamation, emphasizing the ongoing evolution of the legislation since major reforms began in 2017.

“As if things weren’t complicated enough, they just got a whole lot more complicated,” Ferguson remarked, highlighting the learning curve the industry faces with these impending changes.

The lawyers, using a lighthearted Jeopardy game format to navigate the complex legal updates, focused on several key areas expected to impact contractors, owners, suppliers, and design professionals.