Ontario License Update!
There is a new association that has been intrusted to gathering information in regards to consulting along with Consumer Services, so Ontarioachi now has more than there feet in the door, we now have been invited in and are being asked many Questions.
This Association has an impressive Group and will serve Ontario well if they can organize the Consultation information together.
After one year we have accomplished much as a group that will go towards the VOICE of all Inspectors that wish to follow. There is still much much more work to be done but I feel we may be close to half way there.
8 more days and we have been recognized as a NFP Association by the Government of Ontario for 1 year.
We still have many more areas that Ontario Inspectors can help out and are just playing the waiting game.
If you have not yet come and check us out!:mrgreen:
Thanks Kevin - For clarification:
*“Thank you for your interest in participating in an interview sponsored by the Ministry of Consumer Services regarding the home inspector industry.” *
It is my understanding ALL associations in Ontario received this.
Of course it is! However because OntarioAchi has just been set up for 1 yr that is worth telling everyone we are on the map and not going away anytime soon.
As for the compiling of information I am glad someone is doing it that is truly at ARMS LENGTH.
Exactly unfortunatly the other associations seem to have trouble understanding the rules .
This question has just come up so I thought it best to clarify it here.
Kevin:
I fully understand the pressures involved with a new organization but I do have one question:
After paying the required dues and receiving my receipt from PayPal will I receive some sort of certificate or membership card?
Guess I have two questions:
Is there a list showing the number of dues paying members?
Yes this is kept by Len however the structure of being fully CERTIFIED is in the works as you well know we are working on the Consumer Services involvement to find out what the minimum requirements will be. Like InterNachi if you are a PAYED MEMBER you have full use of the logo to be proudly displayed on your website.
We hope to also convince the Government that Veterans like yourself will not need to start over but will just need to show proof of success and have a police check. BTW at this point this has separated us from the pack and may be just what Ontario needs.
Certified Master Inspectors and Registered Home Inspectors most likely will be in the category however only the Government can decide this issue.
If you have any other questions just e-mail me directly.
I could be wrong but for you to get a police check on some one might not be possible .
They have to offer it voluntarily! I would think as the discussions are on going it may be needed. I know Roy what is required and it is not what many think. This is the only way to protect the Public from some issues with absolute invasion into someones home.
We feel that this should be required of anyone in the position of responsibility to protect Home Owners and Home Buyers from the complications in the process of a Home Inspection INVASION.
Under licensing - if it happens in Ontario, a police clearance or “no criminal record” may be a requirement.
Alberta requires it for licensing a home inspector specifically dating back 5 years with respect to convicted of an offense (other than a traffic violation) and other specified civil/court infractions.
Just saying - a legal argument may be made whether prior convictions have any bearing on a persons “right to work”, or current good professional conduct say for the last 5 years.
You would think that licensing has more to do with qualifications, experience and professional conduct.
I have no problem with a criminal back ground check nor should any home inspector. As a consumer or client, I would be extremely unhappy to find out that the person inspecting my home had a background of home invasion or burglary.
A case in point: my youngest daughter hired a real estate agent to list her condo. I googled his name and discovered he was convicted of fraud in a neighbouring town a couple of years ago! I have no idea how he came to be LICENSED!
Ok all weekend Len Inkster has been tweaking the Ontarioachi site to make it even easier to not only post and add pictures but also separate the members so we can get more organized in line with directions of a Professional Association. The Pay Pal is easy to use and gives you a receipt once you have signed up as a full member. There have been some questions about the actual Ontarioachi logo and who can use it. All this will be answered in the next news letter. We want to really thank Len for the hard work involved to get it up and running. There is no way we can pay him back for the hours invested so far.
There really is only 2 ways to go for the Ontario Licensing support and you have to decide soon.
If you have any question you are welcome to call me directly or e-mail me.
I can’t provide you with a fast reply but I do promise I will do whatever I can to answer your questions.
Thanks for all the support so far but again I stress there is still a long ways to go.
Before this gets out of Hand CSA (Canada Standards Association) has invited all stake holders in Home Inspection Training and Associations across Canada in a meeting on the Standards for Home Inspectors.
This meeting is going to help the Associations to see what the plan is for the Standards and is not in anyway one sided.
InterNachi will be there OntarioAchi will be there Caphi will be the Oahi will be there CanNachi will be there AlbertaNachi will be there and other high profile individuals well respected in Canada.
Did I miss anybody.:mrgreen:
Yes - other associations will be there too as well as at least one or two franchises represented.
My take - this is a push to standardize “one national standard” for home inspection in Canada. The other concern noted by Nick in the previous meeting was open - “free” access to a “standard” if one is agreed upon to be adopted.
Many CSA standards like ASTM, etc - are generally purchased by the user such as ASTM Standard E2018-08 - the scope of work for performing a Property Condition Assessment (PCA).
I have one question: How do we follow the money?
This whole scenario about CSA is about money. Look at their web site. THEY TEACH COURSES!
Let’s be clear this is not about protecting the consumer. That is a red herring. The consumer is as protected as he wants to be. Remember ‘Caveat Emptor’. Let the buyer beware. As a nation we want the government to have control of everything and once they have control we start to complain.
Yeah I know CSA is not the government and neither is TSSA. But they were government sanctioned.
As long as the government is giving away OUR tax dollars to promote retraining from lost industrial jobs, scams such as retraining schools will flourish. We started out with Urea Formaldehyde installlation being financed by the government then the government financed the removal of UFFI.
The eco energy program: The government financed $3000. for the average installation and guess what the minimum installed price became? You guessed it $3,000.
Hey, and remember the host of Home Stagers. They were coming out of the woodwork for a while and where are they now? Not many left! But the well known course provider made a bundle of money while the government was financing out of work women with OUR tax dollars.
Maybe we should endorse CSA. Let them take over OUR industry. Then watch the squealing when the well known Canadian course providers get squeezed out of their lucrative teaching gigs and their course providing revenue stream dries up.
We all know and it is a well known fact in the industry: Joe average, in the field doing the inspection is not making much money. But, the ‘preferred’ teachers being compensated by the ‘not for profit’ associations are making a darn good living. These guys are milking the system sitting in a warm class room, selling over priced courses, leading some stooge to think he will make $100,000 per year inspecting a bungalow for Mrs. Smith.
Let Mike Holmes take over the construction industry under the auspices of CSA and then we can appoint Dr. Phil to clean up the Ministry of Health in Ontario.
P.s. Has anybody seen the complaint statistics for the roofing industry. Now there is a plum to be picked on!
Well said thanks Bryce . Much appreciated… Roy
Thanks Roy: I did forget to mention one very important fact.
Thanks to Nick Gromyko:
ALL NACHI COURSES ARE FREE! and accepted by governing bodies (including Canada) world wide.
Nobody and I mean nobody else can say that.
We DEFINITELY NEED some form of licenseing or standardized control for HIs. Insurance rates are rising because of poorly trained or careless HIs. Standardization or liscensing will set a mimimum or max and reduce the number of inspectors. Hopefully the ones left will have the necessary education and be reviewed by some form of council. Too many HIs without qualifications.
Hy Bruce Can you please provide some evidence on your statements .
standardized control for HIs.Why do we need this.
trained or careless HIs I have heard this B.S. for 14 years from OAHI
max and reduce the number of inspectors How can this happen .
max and reduce the number of inspectors Why do think this will happen .
I am on your side but do not think any of these things will happen .
We have too many only interested in making money from the newbies.
OAHI as an example could not exist for one year if they did not continue to get new hope to be a home Inspector.
They continue to sell packages and classes and still do not grow in size .
This is exactly what the B.O.D. want’s .
We need licensing or a solution to stop the unqualified inspector. A govering body should scrutinize all education, experience and qualifications. We will not stop everyone, but, maybe most from entering the field with limited qualifications. Insurance rates are going thanks to the careless, unqualified inspector. Just leave politics out of it, not likely, that is the whole problem, everyone is protecting their association rightly or wrongly. Hopefully something happens soon!!!
Bruce
How do you leave politics out of it when the politics are the cause of the problems?
Perhaps the associations should be the ones to be licenced after all its home inspectors overseeing themselves.
Self regulation does not and has not worked due to the politics.
Home inspectors have no idea how to regulate they are home inspectors not lawyers and certainly not drawn from regulatory backgrounds.
Also you have not given reasons why home inspectors should be licenced by providing tangible documents indicating there is a problem.
The BBB has stats indicating inspectors have very few complaints when compared to other non licenced entities.
The number of court cases indicates there is not a large problem given the number of property sales annually which have inspections.
Just where is the problem?
Speaking of politics, do you think discriminatory practices should be permitted by associations?
Financial irregularities, vote fixing, ignoring complaints is not a problem, people gaining financially over others because they have pull?
Some people cry and whine when the going gets tough. The guy down the street is doing inspections too cheaply. He dosen’t do a good job. He’s not properly trained.
Bunk, pull up your little boy pants and get out there and promote yourself,
Whine, whine, whine, I’m going to call my MP and get another dumb *** law passed,
Hell, I have an — designated inspector in this town who can’t tell a new flat roof from the original and was backed up by his association disciplinary committee!