MEDIA STATEMENT -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Download a printable pdf of this release here.
Toronto, ON, January 11, 2023: The Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO), the Canadian Condominium Institute’s (CCI) Toronto Chapter, and the Community Associations Institute (CAI) Canadian Chapter stand together to offer condolences and deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by the events at the Bellaria Residences in Vaughan, Ontario on December 18, 2022.
Our organizations are leaders in providing education and resources to volunteer board members, condominium unit owners, condominium managers, and other condominium service providers. We give our best efforts to support healthy condominium communities by ensuring that condominiums have access to the resources they need when complex issues arise.
Condominiums are a microcosm of society governed by volunteer directors who are legally mandated to enforce the governing documents of the condominium corporation and endeavour to protect all of the residents within their community. To do so, they take the advice of various professionals and attempt to investigate and address the unique issues and concerns of their owners. Disputes are not uncommon and can be particularly complex and challenging to resolve in condominiums because parties to a dispute must continue to live near each other and regularly encounter one another in common spaces.
In some cases, even when every effort has been made to resolve a conflict, no remedy can be found that leaves all parties satisfied. Litigation is a last resort, and evictions in a condominium are extremely rare and only pursued when the community is deemed to be at risk.
As a result of the shooting at Bellaria Residences, condominium directors may now fear getting involved in disputes and/or serving on the board. This would be unfortunate as the 12,400+ condominium corporations in Ontario necessarily rely on the service of volunteers to provide governance to their communities.
Minimizing the risk of personal harm on a condominium’s property is a critical focus, but unfortunately there are inadequate community resources available to help de-escalate conflicts. Residents, property managers, board members, staff, vendors, and professional business partners alike have the right to feel safe within a condominium community.
Our organizations are jointly committed to:
- Continue identifying areas for legislative reform to better protect personal safety in condominiums and educate government agencies about how best to minimize risk for condominium communities.
- Continue identifying additional appropriate resources relating to mental health and conflict de-escalation to support condominium corporations in the future. This may include better educating other organizations about the unique challenges in condominiums.
- Continue developing and offering additional educational programming for our members to ensure that the condominium market has the best possible information available.
- Proactively supporting our membership and community through education, networking events, and advocacy.
We call on the Ontario government and industry regulators to implement legislative reform and provide additional resources to better protect all parties within condominium communities and offer the expertise of our organizations to assist in this process.
We are prepared to help the media better understand the Condominium industry as best we can without speaking to any specifics related to the ongoing investigation.
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About The Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO)
ACMO is the voice of condominium management in Ontario and the only professional association solely dedicated to supporting, educating, and promoting condominium managers and management firms. Since 1977, we have cultivated an engaged learning community of more than 1,700 members pursuing excellence in the field of condominium management. ACMO offers connection to a community where members have opportunities to develop professionally, advance their collective interests, and increase their value to employers and clients. We provide professional designations, continuing education, resources, expertise, networking and advocacy while adhering to higher standards that go beyond the minimum licensing requirements. We are ACMO – Elevating Condominium Management.
About the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI)
CCI is the largest Canadian condo association dealing exclusively with condominium issues affecting all of the participants in the condominium community. The chapters throughout Canada provide practical comparisons to the different provincial condominium legislation and allow us to work with various levels of governments for better reforms based on practical experience. CCI assists the association membership in establishing and operating successful condominium corporations through education, resources, seminars and referrals to expert assistance.
CCI does not represent any one profession or interest group. Rather, it represents all facets of the condominium community, encouraging all interest groups to work together towards one goal.
About The Community Associations Institute (CAI)
CAI is an international membership organization dedicated to building better communities. With over 40,000 members, CAI has 63 chapters worldwide, including Canada, the Middle East and South Africa, and relationships with housing leaders in a number of other countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. CAI provides information, education and resources to the homeowner volunteers who govern condominiums and the professionals who support them. CAI members include association board members and other homeowner leaders, condominium managers, condominium management companies and other professionals who provide products and services to condominiums.
Association Spokespeople:
Katherine Gow, ACMO President
Lyndsey McNally, CCI President
Sally Thompson, CAI Vice-President
Contact:
Paul MacDonald, ACMO Executive Director
(905) 826-6890, x205
pmacdonald@acmo.org
