EXPLANATORY NOTE

SCHEDULE 1
SUPPORTING ONTARIO'S RECOVERY ACT, 2020

The Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, 2020 is enacted. Section 2 of the Act provides that no cause of action arises against any person as a direct or indirect result of an individual being or potentially being infected with or exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) on or after March 17, 2020 as a direct or indirect result of an act or omission of the person if,

  1. at the relevant time, the person acted or made a good faith effort to act in accordance with,

    1. public health guidance relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) that applied to the person, and

    2. any federal, provincial or municipal law relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) that applied to the person; and

  2. the act or omission of the person does not constitute gross negligence.

Proceedings directly or indirectly based on or related to any such matter may not be brought, and any that exist when the Act comes into force are deemed to have been dismissed without costs. The terms “good faith effort”, “law”, “public health guidance”, and “person” are defined and clarified in section 1 of the Act.

The Act also sets out an exception to section 2 relating to the closure of a person’s operations under a law, as well as exceptions relating to employment and the performance of work.

 

SCHEDULE 2

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ACT, 1996

Currently, the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 provides a framework for conducting ranked ballot elections for offices on a municipal council. Amendments are made to remove that framework. Ontario Regulation 310/16 (Ranked Ballot Elections) made under the Act is revoked.