Limitation periods set a deadline after which a claim can no longer be brought. They matter enormously to engineers because design defects may surface years after the work. Most provinces use a basic limitation period (commonly two years) running from discoverability: when the claimant first knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the loss occurred, was caused by the defendant, and warranted a proceeding. This is paired with an ultimate limitation period (an outer long-stop, often ~15 years) that runs regardless of discovery. Exact periods are set by provincial statute and vary; do not rely on a single number across jurisdictions.
Memory hook: The clock usually starts at discovery, not at the date of the negligent act. A buried foundation defect can trigger liability long after construction.
Forms of business organization carry very different liability profiles:
- Sole proprietorship: one owner; simplest to form, but the owner has unlimited personal liability for all business debts and obligations.
- Partnership: two or more owners sharing profits; in a general partnership, partners are jointly (and often severally) liable for partnership obligations, and each can bind the firm.
- Corporation: a separate legal entity; shareholders enjoy limited liability (generally risking only their investment).
The crucial professional caveat: incorporating does not erase a practitioner's personal professional liability in negligence, and regulators impose requirements (such as a permit/certificate of authorization and professional-liability insurance) on firms practising engineering or geoscience.