Our history

About the award

Established in 2017 and retired in 2021, Tarion's Ernest Assaly Award recognized the highest level of excellence in Ontario home building while honouring the legacy of a hi​ghly respected leader in the residential building industry.

The Ernest Assaly award was named after Tarion's first Chair of the Board of Directors, who led the Board from 1976 to 1988. An esteemed builder in his o​wn right, Mr. Assaly also served as President of three different organizations: the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders' Association, the Ontario Home Builders' Association, ​​and the Canadian Home Builders' Association. In 1986, Mr. Assaly was inducted into the Home Builders' Association Hall of Fame.

Each year, the Ernest Assaly Award celebrated one Ontario residential builder​​ who demonstrated a continued commitment to Mr. Assaly's values of building quality and innovation, customer service, and community involvement.

While Tarion's Homeowners' Choice Awards focus primarily on customer service, and are determined entirely by new home owners, the Ernest Assaly Award was similar to a lifetime achievement award. Only select builders were invited to participate, and the recipient was determined by our Board of Directors, based on a broad range of criteria (see below).
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