COVID-19: Impact of suspended limitation periods on Ontario construction projects

54 minute read
14 April 2020

Notice to reader:

Please be advised that, subsequent to the publication of this On-demand Webinar on April 14, 2020, the Province of Ontario has issued additional orders that impact the construction industry - including lifting the suspension of limitation periods. The impact of the suspended limitation periods set out here are no longer current, and we refer you to our article titled: "COVID-19: Construction Updates on Ontario's Response". Other elements of this On-demand Webinar, including perfecting liens with limited court access and COVID-19's impact on interim adjudication, may still be relevant to the reader.

For ongoing updates relating to COVID-19 and responses from government, please visit our COVID-19 Resource Centre.


On March 23, 2020, the Province of Ontario declared the construction industry as an "essential workplace" and on the other hand increasing restrictions are being put in place on mass gatherings both by governments and private entities. As the spread of the virus begins to have a ripple effect on the construction industry, and the Province considers additional, escalated actions – this is raising challenging questions and issues for owners, contractors and trades in the construction industry across the Country.

In light of these challenging economic realities, it is now imperative to understand how to protect your payment rights and investments made to construction projects. To help our clients navigate this challenging time, Gowling WLG compiled this webinar designed to give clarity on a range of complex issues arising as a result.

Topics include:

  • Suspension of limitation periods in the Province of Ontario
  • Impact on preserving and perfecting construction liens
  • Limited access to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on vacating construction liens
  • Impact on payment holdbacks
  • Impact on prompt payment and adjudication
  • Construction projects as an "essential workplace".

Download this presentation

On-demand webinar


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