The purpose of land registration is to provide a uniform system of registering instruments (documents), such as deeds which create or transfer interests in land. A search of title then discloses the ownership of the land and the restrictions and obligations that may affect its use, such as a right of way over the land. There have been two land registry systems operating in Ontario for a century and more, namely, the registry system under the Registry Act established in 1795 and the land titles system under the Land Titles Act established in 1885. The registry system produces an inventory of instruments affecting title to land. It has been described as nothing more than a large deed box where documents are deposited in the local registry offices. Unlike the registry system, the land titles system produces a statement of the title in a parcel register, rather than an inventory of instruments that must be looked at. The registry system has been the dominant land registry system until relatively recently.
Two significant changes took place in Ontario. In the 1990’s, Ontario made a major change when it started phasing out the registry system altogether by converting all registry system registrations to land titles. At the same time, Ontario started implementing electronic property registration capabilities. Ontario was the first jurisdiction in the world to provide electronic registration of land-related documents. The Ministry of Consumer and Business Services began building POLARIS, the Province of Ontario Land Registration Information System with the objective of automating Ontario’s land registration system. Electronic land registration was launched as a pilot project by the government in a strategic alliance with Teranet Inc. which developed software called “Teraview” for the purpose. (“Terra” is a Latin word meaning earth.)
Electronic land registration documents rely on encrypted digital signatures identifying the party submitting the document for registration. Documents are created and modified online on behalf of the vendor and purchaser with a property’s legal description and ownership information retrieved from Ontario’s land titles database and automatically inserted into the electronic document. Thus, from the 1990’s, two types of titles existed for a while: paper titles and electronic titles. However, electronic registration slowly became compulsory in many areas of the province. The Haliburton Land Registry Office is one of the last areas in Ontario to convert to land titles and electronic registration. As of July 19, 2010, all registrations in Haliburton must be registered electronically except certain specified documents, such as reference plans.