Construction site monitoring: from construction defects to human tragedy

Faced with the multiple denunciations of poor workmanship and design and construction defects observed on construction sites across the province and observed again through the Faubourg Boisbriand tragedy, the Regroupement des Gestions et Copropriétaires du Québec (RGCQ) reiterates the urgent need to impose increased surveillance of construction sites. This approach aims to prevent risks to the safety of residents, both physical and financial, by ensuring the quality of the work in order to safeguard Quebec's real estate portfolio.

A crying need for site surveillance

Contrary to what has been done in Ontario for years, there is still no mandatory and continuous surveillance of construction sites in Quebec. Beyond the economic consequences, these are human disasters that are being played out on this legislative deficit, which has been denounced for several years by the RGCQ and many Quebec real estate players.

The alarming increase in poor workmanship and non-compliance on construction sites is jeopardizing the safety and quality of buildings. It is becoming imperative to act quickly to avoid serious consequences for co-owners.

Yves Joli-Cœur, a distinguished lawyer and president of the Regroupement des gestionnaires et copropriétaires du Québec (RGCQ), expresses growing concerns about the lack of legislation requiring the monitoring of construction sites. He believes that the government should also play an active financial role in this area, in situations such as those mentioned in the November 28, 2023 report on the show "La Facture". The only possible outcome is for "the government to assume its moral responsibility for the legislative deficit that we have known about for several years in Quebec".

Major issues to consider

The safety of residents must remain a major concern and this requires a guarantee of the absence of risks in construction.

At the same time, maintaining high quality standards on construction sites is essential to ensure the sustainability of buildings.

In the midst of a housing crisis, this lack of political will on the part of the various governments that have succeeded one another over the past four decades has had extremely damaging social and economic consequences. It has also undermined public confidence in this type of collective housing.

For several years now, the RGCQ has been emphasizing the imperative for the government to take charge of the issue of construction site monitoring and make it a real priority. It is high time that Quebec legislate to impose continuous professional monitoring of construction sites.

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