How would I find out if a Ministry of Environment order is registered against a property I'm buying in Ontario?

Ontario's environment ministry can issue orders under the Environmental Protection Act requiring an owner to investigate, remediate, or otherwise address a contamination or environmental hazard on their land, and some of these orders can be registered against the property's title. A standard title search conducted by a real estate lawyer as part of closing is one way this can surface, since a registered order would generally show up as an instrument on title.

Because not every order or environmental concern is necessarily registered on title, a title search alone shouldn't be treated as a complete environmental clearance. Buyers with any reason for concern, such as a known former industrial or commercial use, should also ask the seller directly about any past or current ministry orders, request copies of any Record of Site Condition or environmental reports the seller holds, and consider a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, which typically includes a search of relevant government environmental databases as part of its records review. Combining a careful title search with targeted questions and, where warranted, an ESA gives a much fuller picture than relying on title alone.