{"id":899,"slug":"tarion-established-1976-onhwpa-not-for-profit","title":"Tarion established 1976 under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act; not-for-profit administrative authority, not a Crown agency","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["gc-vertical","tarion-warranty","regulatory-signals"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Tarion Warranty Corporation was created in 1976 to administer Ontario's new-home warranty program. Its governing statute is the **Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act (ONHWPA, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.31)**, proclaimed into force in September 1976. Tarion is a **not-for-profit corporation** under the Corporations Act, **not a Crown agency**. It is an \"administrative authority\" delegated by Ontario under the Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act and the ONHWPA, financed entirely by builder enrolment/registration fees plus investment income — it takes no public funds.\n\n**Sources:**\n- Ontario.ca Cunningham Interim Report: <https://www.ontario.ca/document/interim-progress-report-review-ontario-new-home-warranties-plan-act>\n- Tarion governing documents page\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**Governance (post-2019 reforms):** 12-member board, Minister appoints four; five-member Nominations Committee (two ministerial appointees). Directors serve three-year terms with a nine-year cap. Industry representation capped at no more than one-third of directors after the November 27, 2019 Minister's Order — see [[tarion-2019-auditor-general-special-audit]].\n\n**Reports to:** Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (formerly Government and Consumer Services) under an Administrative Agreement. Same Ministry oversees HCRA.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** When clients ask \"is Tarion the government?\" the answer is no — it's a delegated administrative authority. That distinction matters when explaining why Tarion was found to favour industry in the 2019 AG audit, and why the Cunningham Review ([[tarion-cunningham-multi-provider-not-adopted]]) recommended structural reform.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"tarion-2019-auditor-general-special-audit","title":"Tarion 2019 Auditor General Special Audit (Bonnie Lysyk) — 65% of conciliations found builder at fault, 9,700 dismissed for missed deadlines (1,300 by 1 day), OHBA \"disproportionate influence\"","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-tarion-ontario-may-2026","title":"Research brief: Tarion Warranty Corporation — definitive reference (May 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-24T14:19:39.418Z","updated_at":"2026-05-24T14:19:39.418Z"}