Ministry of Consumer Services and their Consulants engaging the inspection profession

The Ministry of Consumer Services via their consultants SEG will be reaching out to all inspectors in Ontario, regardless of affiliation to complete a survey.

This survey is to assist the government in the way in which the regulations will be formulated, managed and costed, so it is extremely important that everyone fills it out fully and accurately.

For anyone who doesn’t hear from SEG about the Survey, we will be posting a link on the front page of the OntarioACHI message board (http://forums.ontarioachi.ca) , and the main website at http://ontarioachi.ca and this message board to their survey as soon as we have it.

Thanks Len. Just saved me a new post. I was coming on to announce the same thing.

I sure hope this is not the same SEG your are talking about.
http://www.linkedin.com/company/seg-management-consultants

Yes it is.

SEG are the Consultants that have been facilitating the Panel meetings.

Do they not meet your stamp of approval?

Please share your concerns with the Ministry of Consumer Services, the ones who selected this consulting firm.

Don’t worry I will be for sure.

Thank you.

So, tell me why home inspectors need to be licensed and regulated?

The Ontario Government believes it is necessary for Consumer Protection.

OK, then they should license and regulate every trades person that works on any home for a real estate transaction. This includes home builders, electricians, plumbers, sheet rock installers, framers, concrete persons, etc. Even the people who lay carpet, paint, wall paper, should then all be licensed. Home regulations and codes, such as the IRC, must be set throughout every home in your country.

Then and only then, will inspectors be able to state a defect, if it truly is a defect.

Actually your information is not entirely correct.

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/working/OI_HOW_WORK_PROF_PROFS.html

http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/working/OI_HOW_WORK_TRADES.html

Do you think it was the Ontario Government pushing for this .

I think it was others who would like to have more control of our industry who have been making much noise for years .
I have been involved since 1998 and many friends have for a lot longer. .

Ontario Government only want to look like they care. MCS however has shown they are trying to get it right.

Guy, if all the other trades were regulated, and made to do their jobs properly there would be little need for Home Inspectors.

I don’t mind a bit of regulation if it flattens the playing field and ensure that Consumers also bear their responsibility for fairness too. Frivolous Lawsuits need to stop, and hopefully, if things I am hearing are to be believed, the regulation of the profession in Canada will include a higher level of consumer education and a unified standard across the profession that should (I repeat “should”) benefit the consumer and the profession alike.

The proof of the pudding, as always, is in the eating.

The Ministry of Consumer Services (MCS) IS part of the Government Kevin.

They are moving down the path of the DAA (Designated Administrative Authority) to segregate the regulatory body from the legislative body. This is the model developed by the Liberal Elective over the past 20 years.

Under the DAA model, legislation is enacted that establishes an accountability and governance framework between a ministry and a private not-for-profit corporation, which then administers legislation on behalf of the government.

Under the framework of the DAA model:

  • The legislative assembly retains overall accountability and control over what is set out in the enabling legislation, and the government retains overall accountability and control over what is set out in the regulations;
  • The minister monitors, and remains accountable to the legislative assembly for, the overall performance of the DAA. The government approves rules covering such matters as the composition of the board of directors, fee-setting process and conflict of interest. It also appoints a minority of members to an independent board; and
  • The DAA assumes responsibility for all aspects of day-to-day decision-making and regulatory service delivery, including administering licences or registrations; handling complaints; conducting inspections, investigations and other enforcement activities; disciplining the conduct of licensees or registrants; enhancing industry professionalism; providing consumer awareness and industry education activities; and appointing a majority of board members.

Other DAA’s are:

  • RECO, TICO, Tarion, OMVIC, VQA, ESA, TSSA BFS and One-Call all under the MCS
  • WSIB, WSIAT, OLRB, OWA, OEA, GSB under the Ministry of Labour
  • FSCO under the Ministry of Finance

The difference is, that with the exception TICO, and the VQA all the other professions covered by a DAA are Mandatory, not optional.

(You don’t have to use a TICO Travel agent or buy VQA wine from Ontario)

I think everybody understands that Len. David and MCS have to answer to the big wigs in the government.

#1 No, not for a second.

#2 Agree 100%. It looks like all those years of “noise-making” got the Government’s attention. Now the Government will have control of the profession.

#3 It’s too bad your friends, and your longevity in the profession wasn’t used as ear-muffs so the Government wouldn’t have heard these noise-makers referred to in #2.

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Go after the home inspector and ignore our kids .This seems strange to me… Roy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More regulated daycare spaces needed, Toronto councillor says

Lack of affordable, licensed daycare is behind concentration of unregulated home daycares on one Toronto block, city councillor says.

RICHARD LAUTENS / TORONTO STAR
Four houses on a street in Toronto’s east end operate unregulated home daycares for babies and toddlers. Three are owned by members of the same family.
By: Laurie Monsebraaten Social justice reporter, Published on Fri Oct 25 2013

The proliferation of unregulated home daycares on an east Toronto street is a symptom of “the huge unmet demand for child care,” in the city, says the area’s local councillor.
“All of the (licensed) centres have long waiting lists. There just isn’t enough child care. And what there is, is quite expensive,” said Councillor Janet Davis (Ward 31 Beaches-East York).
“These are issues the government has to tackle. We have not had an expansion in child care in many, many years to meet the needs,” she added.
As the Star reported Friday, four unregulated home daycares have opened in a stretch of six east Toronto homes in the past few years. Three of the homes are owned by members of the same family, although the owners say they operate independently.
One of the homes has been in violation of the provincial Day Nurseries Act three times since June for having more than five children on the premises. But the operator says the infractions occurred under exceptional circumstances. She was not fined and continues to run her business.
Although parents say the daycares offer excellent care, some neighbours complain the concentration of child-care businesses has changed the nature of their street, especially since some of the operators don’t appear to live in the homes. The Star has not verified if that is the case.
Davis said city zoning bylaws may need to be strengthened to ensure people running home daycares actually live there.
“I think we need to take into consideration whether it’s appropriate to have a concentration of businesses operating on a residential street, especially if the operators aren’t living in there,” she said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate if these homes are only being used during the day and are empty at night and on weekends.”
Good child care can be offered in both regulated and unregulated home daycares, Davis said. But research shows that quality is likely to be better in regulated settings, she said.
Earlier this month, council passed her motion to increase the number of daycare subsidies for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in licensed care by 528, “subject to the 2014 budget review process.” If approved it would boost the number of subsidies to 24,792.
But at a time when about 19,000 children are on the city’s subsidy waiting list, Davis said the city must do more.
Instead of spending $40 million a year to finance a subway in Scarborough that the city doesn’t need, Toronto could fund almost 3,500 new daycare subsidies, Davis said.
Or the city could use the money to build 186 new daycare centres and create 18,600 more full-fee spaces, she said.
The current 57,000 licensed spaces in daycare centres and regulated homes in Toronto are enough to serve just 21 per cent of children under age 10 at a time when more than three-quarters of their mothers work, she noted.
“We need growth in child care to meet the demand of young families,” Davis said. “Child care is crucial to our local workforce development, economic growth, women’s equality and child development.” ­

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That’s easy–you take the free money you get from regulating the thousands of cowboy home inspectors protecting the innocent public from our reckless ways (please note sarcasm button is on…) and pass that money into childcare and its a win-win for a government trying to make the public forget that they just stole 1 BILLION dollars from us so that they could win the last election…Boy I’m sure glad we have such a responsible and ethical bunch running things…:roll: