From attorney general Doug Downey:

I am writing to let you know that the Ontario government is revising one element of a previous emergency order, O. Reg. 73/20 made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which suspended limitation periods and procedural time periods retroactive to March 16, 2020.

The previous order was made to help Ontarians who are having difficulty meeting those time requirements as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The emergency order has been amended to lift the suspension of limitation periods and procedural time periods under the Construction Act.  This will allow for the release of holdback payments to contractors and subcontractors in the normal course, helping to resolve a potentially significant cash flow problem as a result of the order for the construction industry.

The suspension will be lifted on April 16, 2020, to give the industry time to prepare for these changes.  Once lifted, parties will have the same amount of time to meet a deadline that had been remaining before the suspension began on March 16, 2020.

The amendments to the order also address the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act.

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