New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017 (S.O. 2017 c. 33 Sched. 1) — HCRA's governing statute, enacted via Bill 166

Claim: HCRA's governing statute is the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017 (S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 1), enacted as part of Bill 166, the Strengthening Protection for Ontario Consumers Act, 2017. Designation regulation: O. Reg. 624/20 designates HCRA as the regulator and delegates Parts I, III, IV, V and ss. 80, 81, 82, 86, 86.1, 86.2, 86.3 to it.

Sources:

• Bill 166: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-41/session-2/bill-166
• O. Reg. 624/20: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/docs/200624_e.doc

Confidence: Verified.

Statutory powers (selected sections): Issue/refuse/suspend/condition/revoke a licence (ss. 40, 43); compliance orders (ss. 67-68); AMPs (ss. 75-79 — see HCRA administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) proclaimed February 1, 2023 — $5K-$50K base range per contravention); Discipline Committee referral (s. 57); provincial-offence prosecution; restraining/freeze orders in Superior Court (used twice as of late 2024 — Highbridge Construction February 2023 and Albion February 2024).

Caveat — Bill 218 / January 1, 2026 amendments: add a "new freehold home" definition and other clarifications. Substantive licensing regime is unchanged but the statute text should be re-checked after January 1, 2026 for new defined terms before quoting specific sections.