It
has generally been conceded by scholars and academics that “Pursuing a goal with no
adequate knowledge, is like a boat stuck on dry land.”
For
most salaried Canadians who purchase a condominium because a house is well
beyond their financial reach, the condominium unit is the most valuable asset
they try to safeguard. But safeguarding
a valuable asset cannot be achieved in a knowledge vacuum. The more knowledge
an owner has, the more vigilance he or she can exercise to monitor and protect
the long-term survival of his/her asset-the condominium unit.
The
following is a list of resources every condominium owner should consult, and
familiarize himself/herself with the nature of “The Condo Industry”, a powerful
conglomerate of developers, builders, management companies, law firms, and
contractors who shape the destiny of approximately 1 million condo owners in
The Province of Ontario, often by adherence to the minimum legal requirements
to be followed under the existing rules and regulations, but never to strive
for an equitable balance where the collective good/common good is placed above
and beyond the corporate greed that reigns supreme in the condo industry.
A must watch documentary movie
titled
“The Condo Game”. The
conclusion reached by the end of the movie is very simple; by purchasing
condominiums, condo owners inadvertently join “… a game for which they don’t have the rule
book.”
If
the previous documentary movie talks about the “Condo Game”, this site provides
a wealth of information about the puppeteers who manipulate condo owners to
create the misleading impression that their most valuable investment is in safe
hands.
This
site is a treasure trove of information every condo owner must consult. Set up
and managed by a university professor with an intimate knowledge of the condo industry,
it depicts an accurate picture about the legitimate grievances experienced by a
substantial number of condo owners in the Province of Ontario, and the tremendous
power and influence of the “Condo Industry” on governments, politicians, and
bureaucrats.
The
most solid evidence of the strong grip of the “Condo Industry” on the political discourse in this province, manifested
itself in “The Expert Panel” that
the Ministry of Consumer Services created to solicit valuable input prior to changing
The Condominium Act, 1998 of Ontario.
In a panel composed of 12 members only
one seat was assigned to a condo owner, and the remaining 11 seats were given
to lobbyists from the “Condo Industry”. No wonder Board elections in the
province of Ontario, despite limited changes in the new laws have remained a
blatant mockery of democracy, and every principle deemed essential to protect the integrity of the democratic process is casually undermined today to protect the vested interests of the captains of the "Condo Industry".