TIME: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Description
Intended to address concerns about bad-faith "renovictions," bylaws adopted in Hamilton and Toronto (and proposed in a number of other Ontario municipalities) require landlords to obtain additional licensing when seeking building permits for repairs and renovations that require tenants to vacate. This webinar will address the role of architects and engineers under these bylaws, including potential risks involved in completing declarations for this process, as well as the broader social, legal, and political contexts that influence housing stability in Ontario.
Learning Objectives
- Learn about the Municipal Renoviction bylaw model adopted in Hamilton and Toronto
- Understand the role of architects and engineers as classes of “qualified persons” within the Hamilton and Toronto bylaws
- Gain knowledge on the potential areas of risk that an architect should consider when hired to complete a declaration for the purpose of the bylaw
- Understand the broader policy context influencing housing stability - such as vacancy decontrol, no-fault evictions (including for personal use, demolition, or conversion to non-residential use), and the increase in bad-faith evictions — and examine how these dynamics shape the built environment, affect community resilience, and consider strategies that support equitable, thriving communities.
Presenters:
Benjamin Ries, Executive Director, South Etobicoke Community Legal Services
Benjamin Ries is Executive Director of South Etobicoke Community Legal Services, a legal aid clinic serving low-income residents of Toronto’s far west end in the areas of housing law, social assistance, immigration and employment law. Prior to joining SECLS, he was Director of Legal Services for the Community Legal Clinic of York Region, supervised and taught students housing law at Downtown Legal Services within the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, worked as a staff lawyer with a handful of other clinics in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, and served as Tenant Duty Counsel while completing a Masters of Law in Ontario low-income housing law and policy. Ben is a past president of the Association for Canadian Clinical Legal Education; his 15 years as a clinic lawyer in Ontario have included extensive practice before the Landlord and Tenant Board, test-case litigation before the Divisional Court and Court of Appeal for Ontario, and a variety of law reform and public advocacy initiatives focused on renter’s rights and homelessness prevention.
Pricing:
Licensed OAA Members: $42 + HST [$21 + HST - Special Discount Pricing for OAA Members: 50% Off!]
OAA Interns and Students: $32 + HST [$16 + HST - Special Discount Pricing for OAA Members: 50% Off!]
Non-Members: $62 + HST
To Register, click here.
NOTE:
1. An automatically generated confirmation will be emailed to you (once your registration goes through)
2. Please mark the time and date in your calendar
3. The OAA will email the Zoom Access Link to you one-day prior
4. OAA webinars are delivered via Zoom: Please check this Zoom Test Link or speak with your IT Consultant ahead of time, to ensure your device is compatible with Zoom. For technical concerns, please see the Zoom links for Technical Requirements and also their Download Centre.
For more information on the OAA Webinar Series click here.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact
OAA Continuing Education
e: OAAContinuingEducation@oaa.on.ca
t: 416.449.6898 Ext: 232
Attendance Policy: Members are required to attend at least 80% of a webinar in order to qualify for Continuing Education learning hours.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the webinar in order to receive a refund. Webinar fees are not refunded if the cancellation is received after the deadline or if you are unable to attend.