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In June 2017, the Manitoba Law Reform Commission (“MLRC”) commenced a project to review its Builders’ Liens Act, which had not been fully reviewed since it was introduced in 1981. The MLRC review was triggered by a number of factors, including judicial criticisms of the existing legislation, local and national efforts around prompt payment, and the introduction of a Bill in Ontario that would amend Ontario’s Construction Lien Act (Bill 142).
Following significant consultations in relation to both the Builders’ Lien Act and prompt payment issues, on November 19, 2018 the MLRC issued its Final Report titled The Builders’ Liens Act of Manitoba: A Modernized Approach (the “Final Report”).
MLRC’s Final Report is a major achievement thanks largely to the efforts of the MLRC, its retained consultant and retired construction expert, Betty Johnstone, as well as input from industry and legal stakeholders. The report contains 87 recommendations (which are summarized in Chapter 9). Many of these recommendations are focused on modernizing the mechanics of the Builders’ Liens Act, however a number of them relate to prompt payment, adjudication and surety bonding.
Broadly speaking, the MLRC recommended a prompt payment and targeted adjudication regime similar to that included in Ontario’s new Construction Act. As well, and similar to the Ontario model, the MLRC recommended mandatory surety bonding on all public projects in excess of $500,000 and a comprehensive claim protocol to be included in the bond forms. The following are some of the salient details of the Final Report’s package of recommendations:
(a) a performance bond with a coverage limit of at least 50% of the contract price; and
(b) a labour and material bond with a coverage limit of at least 50% of the contract price that extends protection to subcontractors and persons supplying labour and material for the improvement. (Recommendation #84)
As Ontario continues to roll out the provisions of the new Construction Act, including the prompt payment and adjudication regime coming into force in October 2019, it is interesting to see the province of Manitoba follow suit. We look forward to seeing Manitoba’s proposed legislation, given that, as we know from the Ontario experience, the devil is in the detail. As well, with a recommendation to seek out opportunities for extra-provincial agreements, we look forward to the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Manitoba working together in potentially providing an aligned approach on prompt payment and adjudication.
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We are a preeminent Canadian construction and infrastructure law firm. Our peers and clients recognize our lawyers as the best in the construction industry.
News + Insights | May 9, 2023
News + Insights | Apr 25, 2023
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