Daniel Browne-Emery
“I just wanted to build a home to retire in.”
As Daniel battled throat cancer in 2019, these were his words. His oncologist said the cancer was related to mould exposure. After buying a newly built home in 2007, he reported code violations and serious construction defects to the warranty provider and waited years for their help. The help never came. The defects in the home led to mould, his house insurance was cancelled due to construction defects, he could not renew his mortgage without insurance and the home went into foreclosure. Once a successful business owner, Daniel became homeless in 2011. In 2017, Daniel was diagnosed with cancer. He fought bravely, undergoing aggressive surgery and treatment. He battled Tarion for eight years for compensation. CPBH and others advocated for Daniel for compensation for many years. He ultimately received a settlement under a non-disclosure agreement in 2020. It was with a heavy heart and deepest sympathy for Daniel’s wife, son, friends and family that CPBH learned of his passing on January 1, 2021. His memory and the battle for a fair new home construction and warranty regime for Canadians live on.
“I paid for a Tarion warranty. I paid the builder in FULL!! Neither of them did what they were legally and morally bound to do. Did they pay a price for their transgressions? NO. One could argue, I will pay, again, the ultimate price, my life.” Daniel’s Dec. 14, 2019 Facebook post. More:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROYZfBkx1-w
https://consumersreformtarion.com/2021/01/05/this-house-is-going-to-kill-me/
Nancy Seats
Following her own disastrous new home experience in the United States, Nancy Seats was the President of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings (HADD) in the US, where she worked tirelessly as a volunteer for more than two decades to try to improve the situation for Americans who purchased a newly built home with serious construction defects. Nancy was both a supporter of Canadians for Properly Built Homes (CPBH), and a mentor to CPBH’s President, Dr. Karen Somerville. Nancy passed away suddenly in 2018.
Dr. Earl Shuman
Following his own disastrous new home experience in Ontario, Earl worked tirelessly for more than 25 years to try to find justice, and to try to ensure no one else in Ontario had to experience such an unfair and unjust situation that he and his family faced. In particular, he railed against Ontario’s mandatory monopoly new home warranty corporation, now known as Tarion, and the tribunal where appeals of Tarion decisions can be heard, now known as the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT). Tragically Earl passed away in 2016. CPBH was honoured to work with the late Dr. Shuman’s family to establish The Dr. Earl Shuman Memorial Fund for Health Journalism at the University of Toronto. This fund is overseen by award-winning journalist Robert Cribb. More here: https://engage.utoronto.ca/site/SPageServer?pagename=donate#/fund/1298
Dr. Peter Silverman
Peter Silverman’s accomplishments were vast, but we will remember him most for his dedication to consumer protection. He understood the devastation when someone purchased a newly built home riddled with Code violations, and a builder and warranty provider that wouldn’t properly fix them. As a journalist, he worked to shine a light on these injustices. As a consumer ombudsman, he worked to help resolve them. As an experienced board member, Peter applied to join the Tarion Warranty Corporation’s board of directors as he believed that he could help address the serious governance issues at Tarion. But Tarion rejected Peter’s board application, which turned out to be a blessing for CPBH. Peter joined the CPBH Advisory Council instead.
Peter was always there to help CPBH when we needed him. Not only did he offer his sage advice, he was actively engaged, for instance by participating in meetings as part of the CPBH team with the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario and with Justice Douglas Cunningham during the Tarion Review. Sadly, Peter passed away in 2021. Peter was a very important part of the CPBH team, and we miss him. For more on Peter’s incredible life, see here: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=peter-guy-silverman&pid=200358149 .
Bill Teron
Bill Teron was a legend in Canada’s home building industry. He was also the President and Chairman of Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Shortly after CPBH was founded in 2004, CPBH volunteers contacted him. Given that he recognized the need for significantly enhanced consumer protection for newly built homes, he responded – “…I’ve been waiting for you for almost 20 years…” Bill was particularly helpful in CPBH’s early years, giving advice, and attending some meetings with CPBH volunteers and officials in the Canadian federal government. Bill passed away in 2018. More here: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/bill-teron-1932-2018-the-story-father-of-kanata-was-a-rags-to-riches-saga-with-ripples-felt-around-the-world