Ontario proposes legislative amendments to allow for insurers to provide notices of cancellation to insureds by electronic means

On October 30, 2024, Bill 216 (An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes) (Bill 216) underwent its first reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Bill 216 includes technical amendments to the Insurance Act (Ontario) (the Ontario Act) that revise the fire insurance and accident and sickness insurance statutory conditions, that would allow insurers to deliver notices of termination to insureds of policies of fire insurance and policies of accident and sickness insurance by electronic means, provided the insured has given consent to receive such notices from the insurer by electronic means (the Amendments). There is no particular timeline for when the Amendments will come into force.

By way of background, the Ontario Act currently allows insurers to deliver notices of termination for policies of fire insurance and policies of accident and sickness insurance to insureds by registered mail, personal delivery or prepaid courier. The Amendments are in line with Ontario generally acting as a front runner in this area of the law.

For more information on this topic, please contact the authors, Laurie LaPalme or Jesse Collins-Swartz.