Is there a shorter deadline to sue if I was injured on municipal property in Ontario?

Yes, and it is much shorter and stricter than the ordinary two-year limitation period for personal injury claims. Under the Municipal Act, 2001, if you are injured because of snow, ice, or a defect on a municipal road, sidewalk, or other public property, you must give the municipality written notice of your claim and the injury within 10 days of the occurrence. This notice requirement exists alongside — not instead of — the regular two-year limitation period to actually start the lawsuit; missing it can bar your claim even though you are still well within the two-year window.

The notice must generally identify the date, location, and circumstances of the incident and be delivered to the municipal clerk. Courts have some discretion to excuse late or missing notice if there is a reasonable explanation for the delay, the municipality was not significantly prejudiced by not receiving timely notice, and it would not otherwise be unfair for the claim to proceed — but relying on that discretion is a poor substitute for giving notice on time.

Because these claims involve two separate deadlines running in parallel, one measured in days and one in years, and because municipalities defend these claims aggressively, speak with a lawyer immediately if you are hurt on municipal property.