Tarion looks to provide greater access with a virtual 2016 annual public meeting

TORONTO, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - In a historic first, Tarion is pleased to announce that it will hold its 2016 Annual Public Meeting on May 31, 2016 as a webcast. This will provide unprecedented access to residents across the province, including new home buyers and new home owners, who have an interest in Tarion's work.

Beginning on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. members of Tarion's Corporate Leadership Team will be providing an update on the warranty, policies and processes over the last year. The Tarion Ombudsperson will also present his report for 2015. After the formal presentations, a live question and answer period will be conducted. Stakeholders from across the province are encouraged to send in their questions in advance of the meeting by clicking here.

"Holding a virtual Public Meeting makes sense. After listening to feedback from the public, reviewing the cost benefits and recognizing that we can reach so many more consumers, we made the decision to web cast this year's meeting," says Howard Bogach, President and CEO of Tarion. "In the past, most participants were from the Greater Toronto Area, and only a few new home owners came from outside the city – some having to travel for many hours. Since we provide consumer protection to new home buyers across the entire province, it's important that our Annual Public Meeting be similarly accessible," adds Bogach. 

This new format is consistent with improvements Tarion has made to the warranty process over the years. Moving to online channels has significantly increased home buyers' satisfaction with the warranty process as they find it more convenient and accessible.

Tarion has held Annual Public Meetings since 2010 to provide an update on the organization, and a forum for the public to interact with Tarion's management and Warranty Services staff. In 2015, Tarion made enhancements to this meeting to better reflect the information that new home buyers were asking for. For example, we encouraged questions in advance of the meeting to help tailor our presentations and focus on the information participants were looking for. It also allowed us to respond to many individual questions well in advance of the meeting and to connect with those unable to attend. This year, Tarion plans to post a recording of the meeting on its website after the event.

According to Siloni Waraich, Tarion's Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement, "Over the years, Tarion has continuously sought new ways to expand our outreach, and interact with all our stakeholders. Earlier this year we held our fist webcast to home buyers in the London area, and received positive feedback from attendees. Evolving our Annual Public Meeting into a virtual event and posting a recording on our website will make this meeting more accessible to the various groups that Tarion serves across Ontario."

Members of Tarion's leadership team will respond to a combination of pre-submitted and live questions during the web conference. A team of Warranty Services Representatives will also be on hand to follow-up on individual questions about the warranty. To submit a question prior to the meeting, click here.

Invitations to attend the 2016 Annual Public Meeting will be emailed to all consumers and builders registered through MyHome and BuilderLink.

To register for Tarion's 2016 virtual Annual Public Meeting, click here.

About Tarion
For the past 40 years, Tarion has been enhancing confidence in the new home buying experience. Tarion is a private, not-for-profit corporation that administers the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, and backstops the warranty coverage. We set the standards for builder licensing and after sales service and step in when your builder cannot or will not fulfill their warranty obligations. Since 1976, Ontario's new home warranty program has registered close to two million homes and paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in warranty claims. Our mandate is to serve the public interest, and is what guides us every day.

SOURCE Tarion Warranty Corporation

Melissa Yollick, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, (Ph) 416-229-3863, [email protected]