Let’s say someone wronged you in Ontario.
Maybe someone borrowed money from you and is refusing to pay it back. Maybe you were wrongfully terminated from your job. Maybe you experienced harassment or discrimination. Or maybe you underwent a medical procedure and later discovered that something may have been done negligently.
A common question is: how long do you have to start legal action?
In Ontario, this deadline is generally called a limitation period. A limitation period is the amount of time you have to start a legal proceeding before your claim may be barred.
As a general rule, many civil claims in Ontario must be started within two years from the date the claim is discovered.
That does not always mean two years from the exact date the event happened. In some cases, the clock starts when you first knew, or reasonably should have known, that you suffered a loss, that someone’s act or omission may have caused it, and that starting a legal proceeding would be an appropriate way to seek a remedy.
For example, let’s say you had surgery on July 1, 2026. At the time, you did not know that anything was wrong. Two months later, on September 1, you discovered information suggesting that the surgery may have been performed negligently. In that kind of situation, the limitation period may begin from the date you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the claim, which is September 1, not July 1.
This is why limitation periods can be more complicated than simply counting two years from the date of the incident.
There are also important exceptions. Some claims have shorter deadlines. For example, human rights applications in Ontario usually have to be filed within one year. Some claims may also involve notice requirements, special statutes, minors, incapacity, or other rules that change how the deadline is calculated.
The safest approach is this: do not wait until the last minute. If you believe you may have a legal claim, get legal advice as soon as possible. Missing a limitation period can mean losing the ability to pursue your claim, even if the claim itself may have had merit.
So, while the general rule in Ontario is often two years, the real answer is: it depends on the type of claim, when it was discovered, and whether any special deadline applies.