With the worst of the pandemic seemingly behind us, and almost all restrictions removed, or rarely applied, I think it is time to discuss how condominiums hold meetings of the owners going forward.

During the pandemic, condominiums were legally given the right to hold meetings virtually regardless of whether or not a condominium had rules about this.

However, now that in-person meetings, and gatherings, are 100% legal again, there is a question of how to proceed with meetings.

The main reason for supporting hybrid meetings going forward, whereby owners can participate via in-person attendane, virtual attendance, or by proxy is due to the requirement that condominiums allow for owners are allowed to ‘reasonable participation.’ The Government has yet to announce what ‘reasonable participation’ means¹ but it is hard to deny that it means that an owner should be able to participate either in-person or virtually. Not everyone is ‘tech savvy’ and for others they prefer the person touch as they find it easier to judge the body language of another person when they are meeting in person.

Hybrid meetings are easy to hold, and if a condominium is holding their meeting electronically now, then it is easy to add the in-person element. For example, in the condominium I live in, the Board hires a company to handle the operation of the virtual meetings. The person ‘running’ the Zoom component of the meeting can easily attend an owners’ meeting in-person with their equipment. If they can run the meeting virtually, they can add the in-person component too.

The law firm, Shibley Righton has even compiled a list of 10 tips for condominiums to help them run a smooth hybrid meeting: 10 Tips to Ensure a Well-Run Hybrid Meeting.

It is time for condominiums to adapt to the new environment and alow for hybrid meetings with their owners. This is not just for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) but allows for the Board to hold Information Meetings (on such things as the Budget, or a new Reserve Fund Study) or for Town Halls where they can connect with the owners, the people paying for costs that the condominium incurs, but also who the Board members ultimately work for!

I call on ALL condominiums to adapt and move to hybrid meetings. Allow the owners of your condominium to ‘reasonable participation’ in the way that they are the most comofortable participating in.

¹ https://condoadviser.ca/2023/06/vitual-agms-and-electronic-voting-are-here-to-stay/condo-law-blog-Ontario