Skip to content

Introducing the Construction Remedies Act

Kenneth McCullogh, QC and Conor O’Neil, P.Eng.

On December 18, 2020, the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick passed the Construction Remedies Act. After nearly a year the new legislation will come into force on Monday, November 1, 2021. Our update outlining some of the major differences between the Construction Remedies Act and its predecessor, the Mechanics’ Lien Act is available online here.

Transition provisions

The new act will apply to all contracts entered into on or after November 1, 2021. Despite the repeal of the Mechanics’ Lien Act, that legislation will continue to apply to any contracts entered into before November 1, 2021. In other words, any contracts currently being performed will not be subject to a change in law.

Almost all of the sections of the Construction Remedies Act will come into force on November 1, with some exceptions. Importantly, the provisions which require an owner of a construction project to create a holdback trust account, which could prove to be administratively burdensome to many owners, will not come into force on November 1. It is expected that there will be changes made to the regulations and that these sections will come into force on a later date.

The regulations, which are now available online here, prescribe new forms to be used for filings of liens and projects where mandatory surety bonding is required on Crown or local government projects.

What’s next

It could still be several months before the effects of the new legislation are known in practice. Given that the transitional provisions flow with the dates of contracts parties managing several projects should pay careful attention to the dates of those contracts to determine which legislation applies.


This update is intended for general information only. If you have questions about how the information above may affect you, please contact any member of our construction group.

 

Click here to subscribe to Stewart McKelvey Thought Leadership.

SHARE

Archive

Search Archive


 
 

Powering the future: Green choice program regulations

September 22, 2023

By Nancy Rubin, K.C. and Lauren Agnew The long-awaited Green Choice Program Regulations (N.S. Reg. 155/2023) were released by the provincial government on September 8, 2023, offering some clarity into the practical implementation of Nova…

Read More

Privilege protected: Court of Appeal rules NL’s Information and Privacy Commissioner barred from reviewing solicitor-client privileged information

September 20, 2023

By Koren Thomson, John Samms, and Matthew Raske The Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal has held that the Information and Privacy Commissioner for this province (the “Commissioner”) does not have the authority to order…

Read More

Amendments required for Prince Edward Island code of conduct bylaws

September 18, 2023

By Perlene Morrison, K.C. Municipalities are required to pass code of conduct bylaws in accordance with section 107 of the Municipal Government Act (the “MGA”). Subsection 107(1) of the MGA specifically states that a municipality’s…

Read More

Professionally speaking: Ontario Superior Court upholds professional regulators’ right to moderate speech

September 14, 2023

By Sheila Mecking and Kathleen Starke On August 23, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court (“ONSC”) upheld a complaints decision which ordered a psychologist to complete a continuing education or remedial program regarding professionalism in public…

Read More

One-year reminder for federal employers: Pay equity plans due September 3, 2024

September 5, 2023

By Dante Manna As we advised in a previous podcast, all federal employers with at least ten employees[1] have been subject to the Pay Equity Act [2] (“PEA”) and Pay Equity Regulations [3] (“Regulations”) since…

Read More

Charging to net-zero: Government releases draft Clean Electricity Regulations

August 23, 2023

By Nancy Rubin, K.C. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recently published a draft of the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER). The proposed Regulations work toward achieving a net-zero electricity-generating sector, helping Canada become a net-zero…

Read More

Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador rejects developer’s constructive expropriation claim

August 18, 2023

By Stephen Penney & Matthew Raske In the recent decision Index Investment Inc. v. Paradise (Town), 2023 NLSC 112, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador validated the Town of Paradise’s decision to rezone lands…

Read More

IRCC expands authorization for foreign workers to study without a study permit: Four things you need to know

July 13, 2023

By Sara Espinal Henao Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) has announced a promising new temporary measure that allows foreign workers to study for a longer duration without a study permit, opening the door for…

Read More

Canada’s first-ever Tech Talent Strategy announced

July 12, 2023

By Brendan Sheridan The Government of Canada recently announced a number of aggressive immigration measures to help attract top talent to Canada in high-growth industries in an effort to fuel innovation and drive emerging technologies.…

Read More

ESG and dispute resolution: fighting for greener ways

July 5, 2023

By Daniela Bassan, K.C. All stakeholders in the legal profession, including litigators, have a shared interest in promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pathways towards building a greener society. It is crucial for litigators to…

Read More

Search Archive


Scroll To Top