Category Archives: Letters to the Editor

By: Barbara Captijn

In response to an article in The Toronto Star, March 7, 2014

The Premier’s calls for transparency are welcome. But she has yet to respond to consumer petitions, MPP’s Bills and Motions in the Legislature urging accountability and transparency at Tarion Warranty Corporation. “But Tarion doesn’t get taxpayer money” protest Tarion’s executives and Ministry policy wonks. But warranty fees are passed on to new home buyers, (unless you believe in the tooth fairy), by builders in the purchaser price. Further, Tarion has a monopoly in home warranties and builder licensing, administers consumer protection laws, and can lawyer itself up to fight homeowners who don’t have money for legal advice. The Ombudsman of Ontario and Auditor General have no authority over Tarion, and executive pay is not subject to the Sunshine List.  But we’re being asked to believe Tarion and their builder-heavy board know what’s best for us. Because they say so.

Re: “A Victory for Openness” | article in  The Toronto Star, Dec. 23, 2013

Comment below submitted by Barbara Captijn as letter to the editor

Good news for openness and transparency from Attorney General Gerretsen regarding greater accessibility of court records. Finally a senior official following through on Premier Wynne’s much-repeated promise of a new era of openness and transparency in government. But this should not be limited to criminal records: it should apply to civil court proceedings as well. Perhaps it’s time for the Minister of Consumer Services, Minister MacCharles, to follow through on her promise to Ontarians (July 8, 2013 in The Star) of greater transparency in builder records for the home-buying public. Regardless of who “won” these cases, all Ontario License Appeal Tribunal proceedings should be listed on Tarion Warranty Corporation’s on-line “Licensed Builder Directory”. For Tarion to continue to keep this information absent from builder’s records is not telling the full story, and seems at odds with Attorney General Gerretson’s statement: “The public has a right to know what’s going on in our court system.” The Star has it right: “The public’s right to know is entrenched in our legal system.”  Time to show the full picture on incomplete or shoddy new home building.

Re: “Put Justice within Reach”, Editorial Oct. 12 | The Toronto Star

Letter to the Editor by Barbara Captijn
Published in The Toronto Star Oct. 17, 2013, and on www.thestar.com

By: Barbara Captijn
Re: “Warranty system slanted” (Aug. 7, 2012, Belleville Intelligencer newspaper) |

Thursday’s Letter to the Editor
Published on www.intelligencer.ca | Belleville Intelligencer

Colin McKay’s article is an accurate and complete overview of the serious systemic problems at Tarion Warranty Corporation.

It defies common sense that our government has a hands-off policy in their “oversight” role of Tarion. It defies common sense that Tarion has their builder-dominated board speak for the interests of consumers.

And it flies in the face of any “equitable principles” of law that Tarion can make unlimited use of the warranty fund to fight its own self-represented homeowners/stakeholders in court over claims for new home defects.

We rely on our free press, such as this article by The Intelligencer, to expose another abuse of the public trust. The fox has been given responsibility for guarding the chicken coop.