Establishing Service Standards for Elevator Repairs - by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Gord Perks

Furthermore, when elevators break down in the buildings where medical clinics operate, individuals who require these elevators to attend their medical appointments on higher floors are forced to miss important and necessary medical treatments. On June 10, 2014, City Council endorsed my Member Motion 52.14, which called on the Province of Ontario to review the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to establish service standards for elevator repairs in buildings with people with disabilities. While the Minister of Consumer Services introduced a bill to improve these standards in February 2018, little progress has been made. Subsequently, a new Provincial government has taken office, which means our efforts to create actual service standards must begin all over again. In December 2018, Ontario's Auditor General released a report highlighting that most of the elevators and escalators in the Province are not fully in compliance with safety laws and that the situation is getting worse. Further, the report found that the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services has not monitored this dire situation sufficiently to ensure that the Technical Standards and Safety Authority is fulfilling its mandate. In fact, over 300 elevators had their operating licenses actually renewed while being shut down for outstanding safety concerns. A prescribed and legislatively enforced time limit for elevator repairs should be established within the Province of Ontario, to ensure residents have a reasonable expectation of when elevator repairs will be completed. Further, Ontario's policies and regulatory powers should be reviewed to make sure there are sufficient labour and oversight resources to achieve compliance with the law.

establish service standards for elevator repairs in buildings; b. bring the necessary resources to bear so that either the Technical Standards and Safety Authority is able to fulfil its delegated mandate or other forms of oversight and enforcement are implemented to achieve safer and more reliable elevator service standards in all high-rise residential buildings and commercial buildings housing clinics, therapy centres, or other services for clients with accessibility needs; and c. review the number of licensed technicians in Ontario and evaluate it against current and projected demand levels.