News Dealer’s Corner
SAWDAC recommends caution accepting work under Ontario lockdown

The Siding Window and Door Association of Canada (SAWDAC) has issued a statement advising its members and other window and door installers in Ontario to exercise caution interpreting the new lockdown orders going into effect Jan. 14.

The Ontario government’s orders exempt the following from the lockdown restriction:

Residential construction projects where,

• a footing permit has been granted for single family, semi-detached and townhomes
• the project is a condominium, mixed use or other residential building, or
•  the project involves renovations to residential properties and construction work was started before January 12, 2021.

An exception is also made for “Construction and maintenance activities necessary to temporarily close construction sites that have paused or are not active and to ensure ongoing public safety.”

SAWDAC executive director, Jason Neal, emailed, “We are fielding a large number of calls asking for yes-no answers on whether a certain project can proceed or not. It is not usually possible to give a cut-and-dried answer. We are encouraging members to contact their Member of Provincial Parliament or their lawyer for guidance on specific cases. We are also seeking clarity from the Ministry of Labour on several points, especially on what constitutes a ‘started’ project. Until that is forthcoming, we urge members to exercise caution, understanding that all it takes is a phone call from a concerned citizen to attract a visit from bylaw officers.

“SAWDAC is aggressively pursuing the Ministry for more information,” Neal continued. “We’ll update members through the media, email and on social media as we learn more.”