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CANADA · POWER OF SALE

Power of sale is not foreclosure — and the difference decides how much time you have

Most homeowners use the two words interchangeably. Lenders do not. Under power of sale, no court hearing protects you and no judge sets a date you can plan around. The clock simply runs. Here is exactly how it works in your province, and the three things that stop it.

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The distinction that matters

Power of sale

The lender sells the property under a contractual power written into your mortgage, without taking title and without a foreclosure judgment. Used in Ontario and most Atlantic provinces. Fast: in Ontario a sale can complete under 90 days from first default.

Judicial foreclosure

The lender must go to court, and a judge issues an Order Nisi setting a redemption period. Used in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Slower — 4 to 9 months — with court-ordered protection built in.

Quebec: hypothecary recourse

Quebec follows the Civil Code entirely. A mandatory 60-day prior notice must be registered and served before the lender can act, and a notary is involved throughout.

Three things that actually stop a power of sale

1 Reinstate

In Ontario specifically, paying the arrears plus the lender’s costs during the notice period normally restores the mortgage — you do not need the full balance. That number is usually far smaller than homeowners assume.

Best when: a few payments behind, income recovered.

2 Refinance

A new lender pays out the existing mortgage entirely and the sale stops. B-tier and private lenders refinance files in active power of sale regularly. We refer you to a broker at no cost to you.

Best when: you hold real equity.

3 Sell first

Selling before the lender does keeps the price, the closing date and any surplus under your control. We may purchase directly for cash with no commissions and no fees from you.

Best when: the notice period is short or equity is thin.

Power of sale by city

Timelines and remedies differ by province. Find your city for the process that actually applies to you.

Ontario — 139 cities  full Ontario guide →

Acton Ajax Amherstburg Arkona Arthur Atwood Aurora Barrie Bayfield Belle River Belleville Blenheim Bothwell Bradford West Gwillimbury Brampton Brantford Brigden Brockville Burlington Caledon Cambridge Camlachie Centre Wellington Chatham Kent Clinton Cobourg Colchester Collingwood Comber Cornwall Corunna Cottam Creemore Drayton Dresden Dundalk Durham Elora Erin Essex Fergus Flesherton Florence Forest Georgetown Georgina Glen Williams Glencoe Goderich Grand Bend Greater Sudbury Guelph Halton Hills Hamilton Hanover Harrow Hillsburgh Innisfil Kincardine Kingston Kingsville Kitchener Lakeshore Lasalle Leamington Limehouse Listowel London Lucknow Maidstone Markdale Markham Meaford Milton Mississauga Mitchell Monkton Mooretown Mount Brydges Mount Forest Newbury Newmarket Niagara Falls North Bay Oakville Orangeville Orillia Oshawa Ottawa Owen Sound Palmerston Pelee Island Peterborough Petrolia Pickering Plympton Wyoming Port Elgin Quinte West Richmond Hill Ridgetown Ripley Ruthven Sarnia Saugeen Shores Sault Ste Marie Seaforth Shelburne Sombra Southampton St Catharines Stayner Stouffville Stratford Strathroy Tecumseh Thamesville Thedford Thornbury Thunder Bay Tilbury Tilbury East Tiverton Toronto Vaughan Walkerton Wallace Wallaceburg Wardsville Wasaga Beach Waterloo Watford Welland Wheatley Whitby Wilkesport Windsor Wingham Woodstock Wyoming

British Columbia — 60 cities  full British Columbia guide →

Abbotsford Armstrong Burnaby Campbell River Castlegar Chilliwack Comox Coquitlam Courtenay Cranbrook Creston Dawson Creek Delta Elkford Enderby Fernie Fort St John Golden Grand Forks Invermere Kamloops Kelowna Kitimat Langley Lumby Maple Ridge Mission Nanaimo Nelson New Westminster North Vancouver Parksville Penticton Pitt Meadows Port Alberni Port Coquitlam Powell River Prince George Prince Rupert Quesnel Revelstoke Richmond Rossland Saanich Salmon Arm Sechelt Sicamous Smithers Sparwood Squamish Surrey Terrace Trail Vancouver Vernon Victoria West Vancouver Whistler White Rock Williams Lake

Nova Scotia — 40 cities  full Nova Scotia guide →

Amherst Annapolis Royal Antigonish Aylesford Beaver Bank Bedford Berwick Bridgetown Bridgewater Chester Dartmouth Digby Fall River Glace Bay Greenwood Halifax Hantsport Hubbards Kentville Kingston Lower Sackville Lunenburg Mahone Bay Middle Sackville New Glasgow North Sydney Pictou Sackville Stellarton Sydney Sydney Mines Tantallon Trenton Truro Waverley Wellington Westville Windsor Wolfville Yarmouth

New Brunswick — 30 cities  full New Brunswick guide →

Bathurst Blacks Harbour Boiestown Campbellton Caraquet Dieppe Doaktown Edmundston Florenceville Bristol Fredericton Grand Bay Westfield Grand Falls Hampton Hartland Miramichi Moncton Oromocto Quispamsis Riverview Rothesay Sackville Saint Andrews Saint George Saint John Saint Martins Saint Stephen Shediac Sussex Tracadie Woodstock

Newfoundland and Labrador — 20 cities  full Newfoundland and Labrador guide →

Bay Roberts Bishop S Falls Bonavista Botwood Carbonear Channel Port Aux Basques Clarenville Conception Bay South Corner Brook Gander Grand Falls Windsor Happy Valley Goose Bay Labrador City Lewisporte Marystown Mount Pearl Paradise St John S Stephenville Twillingate

Prince Edward Island — 15 cities  full Prince Edward Island guide →

Alberton Borden Carleton Charlottetown Cornwall Crapaud Hunter River Kensington Montague Murray River North Rustico O Leary Souris Stratford Summerside Tignish

The notice period is the entire window

Once it expires your options narrow sharply. A free 15-minute conversation tells you exactly where you stand.

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Who we are: Foreclosure Support is operated by a Canadian private real estate investor.

Who we are not: We are not a lender, bank, lawyer, paralegal, financial advisor, credit counsellor, charity, or government agency, and we are not affiliated with any mortgage holder.

What we recommend: Power of sale timelines are strict and vary by province. Consult a lawyer licensed in your province before signing anything, and consider speaking with a non-profit credit counsellor. We will wait while you do.