In early May 2018,
Bill 8, Access to Consumer Credit Reports and Elevator Availability Act was carried and given Royal Assent by the Lieutenant Governor, officially making the bill a law. Wynne Liberals rushed to give the Bill royal assent before the June election, but implementation seems to have stalled under the Ford government.
Ontario residents living in high-rise buildings have claimed that Ontario has a major elevator problem. Whether it’s delays or entrapments, it seems that breakdowns and maintenance issues have reached a breaking point in the province. Industry representatives do not deny that elevator availability needs to be addressed. The issue is that the elevator availability law focuses on elevator downtime while ignoring the reasons why this occurs. The lack of qualified mechanics, the repealed Directors Order for single speed elevators, the timeliness of maintenance, accessibility of parts, the willingness of owners to pay for regular maintenance and upgrades, and more all play a part in elevator downtime.
Although the industry representatives submitted amendments to improve the Bill, their words were ignored and the former Liberal government quickly passed legislation. However, it seems like Ontario residents hoping for the implementation of the new elevator availability law should brace themselves for a delay. Although it received “royal assent” in the dying days of ex-premier Kathleen Wynne’s government, it hasn’t come into force, and there’s no signal from Premier Doug Ford’s new Progressive Conservative government to suggest when or if it will ever happen.
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