DATE

PROVINCE OR JURISDICTION

ARCHIVED 2017 NEWS

• amendments necessary to establish regulations for Building Condition Evaluation Programs for prescribed classes of buildings
• amendments allowing Chief Building Officials to register orders regarding contraventions to the Building Code Act and the Building Code on property title
• an amendment to increase the maximum fine amounts for corporations
• an amendment to clarify the independence of building officials

• was made by Cabinet on December 13, 2017
• was filed with the Registrar on: December 19, 2017
• was published on e-Laws on December 19, 2017
• will be printed in The Ontario Gazetteon January 6, 2018

• "Technical Support for Electric Vehicle Charging Requirements in the Building Code that are in effect January 1, 2018 - Houses - Questions and Answers", dated December 19, 2017 to clarify the requirements of the Ontario Building Code related to EV charging for "houses"
• "Technical Support for Electric Vehicle Charging Requirements in the Building Code that are in effect January 1, 2018 - Non-residential Buildings - Questions and Answers", dated December 19, 2017 to clarify the requirements of the Ontario Building Code related to EV charging for "non-residential buildings"

• the Niagara Chapter meeting of the Ontario Building Official's Association
• the GTA Chapter meeting of the Ontario Building Official's Association
• the Town of Richmond Hill's Building and Fire Services staff

• was made by Cabinet on November 22, 2017
• was filed withe the Registrar on: December 7, 2017
• was published on e-Laws on December 7, 2017
• will be printed in The Ontario Gazetteon December 23, 2017

• an amendment to expands the definitions of “applicable law” to include a reference to the new requirements for residential condominium conversion projects under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act
• a proverbial "technical housekeeping change" to address a typographical error discovered in O. Reg. 139/17, related to the length of the leaching chambers used in shallow buried trenches included in Table 8.7.1.3 A. (replacing “50” with “30” in the Table)

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs issued Ontario CodeNews e-bulletin #253, dated December 15, 2017, in which the Honourable Bill Mauro, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs, announced the availability of "Ontario’s Tall Wood Building Reference: A Technical Resource for Developing Alternative Solutions Under Ontario’s Building Code", which is intended to be a new tool to support tall wood construction.

This technical resource is intended to provide "information to assist applicants, reviewers and designers as they consider tall wood building construction."

To obtain a copy of  "Ontario’s Tall Wood Building Reference: A Technical Resource for Developing Alternative Solutions Under Ontario’s Building Code", write an e-mail to:     masstimber@ontario.ca

• 14-BCI-008 - Wind Turbines
• 14-BCI-009 - Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression System Verification and Testing Certificates
• 14-BCI-010 - Hydronic Heating Systems (Joint Building/Plumbing)
• 14-BCI-011 - Insulation for Attached Garages

• 14-BCV-012 - Oil and Gas Processing Facilities
• 14-BCV-013 - Natural Gas Regulating and Metering Station Buildings

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs issued Ontario CodeNews e-bulletin #251, dated November 16, 2017, to announce that Ontario's Regulatory Registry has posted a public consultation on potential regulatory amendments to the Building Code to establish a Building Condition Evaluation Program for all buildings with rooftop parking.  The amendments would also apply to exposed, multi-storey, above-ground parking structures built before 1988.  The proposals in the consultation paper are intended to respond to the recommendations of the Elliot Lake Commission of Inquiry and benefit from the advice in the Report of the Building Safety Technical Advisory Panel that was released in January 27, 2016.

You are requested to submit comments on the consultation document by January 4, 2018.

The consultation document will be posted on the Regulatory Registry for a period of 50 days.  In order to preserve access to the consultation document beyond 50 days, CodeNews has archived a copy of the consultation document on this website.

Bill 177, Stronger, Fairer Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2017, received first reading on November 15, 2017.  The Bill contains 46 Schedules which amend various Acts.  Schedule 2 amends the Building Code Act, 1992.

The proposed Building Code Act amendments are intended to address the recommendations that were made by the Elliot Lake Commission of Inquiry following the collapse of the Algo Centre Mall in 2012.  The proposed amendments, if passed, would enable the government to make regulations establishing mandatory maintenance and evaluation programs for prescribed types of buildings through a Building Condition Evaluation Program.  The Bill would come into force on the day the Stronger, Fairer Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2017 receives Royal Assent, except for the imposition of administrative penalties and a number of other matters.

• 14-BCI-007 - Application of the Alberta Building Code for Structural Insulated Panels

• Notice – Introduction of Administrative Penalties

•     National Building Code of Canada 2015 (NBC)
•     National Fire Code of Canada 2015 (NFC)
•     National Plumbing Code of Canada 2015 (NPC)

•     provide Code users and stakeholders with a detailed look at proposed technical changes and
•     seek comment on each proposed technical change as to whether it should be approved, altered, or rejected.

You can download the combined .pdf  file (7.5MB) of all proposed changes (updated on 2017-11-08) from the NRC website.

• 14-BCV-010 - Interconnected Smoke Alarms
• 14-BCV-011/14-FCV-012 - Door Release Hardware

• LEG-ECR-2 [rev 25] - Section 2 – Electrical Systems Equipment
• CEC-46  - Section 46 – Emergency power supply, unit equipment, exit signs, and life safety systems

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs issued Ontario CodeNews e-bulletin #250, dated September 28, 2017, to announce the availability of technical support materials to assist in the implementation of new Building Code requirements contained in O. Reg. 139/17.

The Ministry alleges that the technical support materials are available on the the Build Right Ontario website, maintained by the Ontario Building Officials Association and the Large Municipalities Chief Building Officials group.  Since the materials are not posted, as of September 28, 2017, we are providing links to the following technical support materials posted on the CodeNews.ca website:

• Retirement Homes Slide Deck
•  Two Unit "Houses" Slide Deck
•  Plumbing, Leaching Chamber, & Electric Vehicle Charging Slide Deck

Please note that the ministry's slide decks are but pale imitations of and are not the same as the Presentations on the major changes to retirement homes and houses, contained in O. Reg. 139/17, that are being delivered in person by Alek Antoniuk, OAA, to delighted droves of architects, engineers, and building officials.

Attendance Credits at the November 14 Presentation in Kitchener are recognized by the OBOA for its members who are:

•  certified; and
•  paid-up in the current cycle.

• Adopt the 23rd edition of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part One, CSA Standard C22.1-15 (CCC-2015) to update Chapter V, Electricity, of the Construction Code.
• Make changes to this new edition to meet the needs and priorities of Quebec, and renew certain changes that were made to the 2009 edition currently in effect.
• Integrate the provisions of the Government's 2015-2020 Electrification of Transport Action Plan, by requiring the installation of basic infrastructure for the eventual supply of 240-volt charging stations for electric vehicles during the construction of individual dwellings with parking areas or carport.
• Incorporate some of the recommendations of the Provincial Electricity Advisory Committee into the regulations to enhance the safety of certain facilities.
• Harmonize the requirements of Chapter II, Electrical, Safety Code with other chapters of this Code and with the Construction Code.
• Introduce directly in the Construction Code the exemptions from the Regulations to the Building Act relating to electrical installations.

• 14-BCV-002R1 - Tall Wall Generic Engineered Details
• 14-BCV-003R1 - Wind Data for Low-Rise Buildings Guideline

• 14-BCI-004 - Mechanically Vented Appliances

• Alberta Municipal Affairs User Guide for Energy Code Compliance - Section 9.36., ABC
• ABC Section 9.36. – Q & A

• the Regulatory Amendments Section of the Pressure Installations Section.
• the draft Regulation on Pressure Installations. published in the Gazette officielle du Québec
• the Regulatory Impact Analysis - PDF (934 KB), which presents, among other things, the impact of this draft regulation on businesses.

• A new Application for Barrier-Free Relaxation
• A new Pre-Assessment for Relaxation Form for the Authority Having Jurisidition(AHJ)

• 14-BCV-006 - Elevator and Passenger-Elevating Devices
• 14-BCV-007 - Interior Stairways for Roof Access
• 14-BCV-008 - Separation of Suites in Strip Malls
• 14-BCV-009 - Polyethylene Film for Greenhouse Enclosures

• 14-BCI-005 - Rooms Containing Gaseous Chlorine
• 14-BCI-006 - Barrier-Free Design Requirements: Relaxations

• 14-BCB-002 - Roof Anchors

Alberta Building Code 2014 Schedules

The professional schedules referenced by the Alberta Building Code (ABC) have been updated to specifically reference energy efficiency requirements of the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2011 and ABC 2014 Section 9.36. This update provides the user visible confirmation of the fact that the professional schedules include application to energy efficiency under the NECB 2011 and the ABC 2014 Section 9.36. in force in Alberta since November 1, 2016.

• Energy efficiency requirements for houses
• Energy efficiency in large buildings
• Energy efficient renovations in houses and large buildings
• Electric vehicle charging in new multi-unit residential buildings
• Other green technologies

Significant amendments include references to the latest editions of:

• CSA B51 - the boiler, pressure vessel and pressure piping code, which is the national document for non-nuclear pressure equipment in Canada
• CSA B52 - the mechanical refrigeration code
• CSA N285.0  - general requirements for pressure-retaining systems and components in Canada Deuterium Uranium(CANDU) nuclear power plants/material standards for reactor components for CANDU nuclear power plants

• 14-BCV-002 - Tall Wall Generic Engineered Details
• 14-BCV-003 - Wind Data for Low-Rise Buildings Guideline
• 14-BCV-004 - Spans for Joists, Rafter and Beams
• 14-BCV-005 - CSA-A277-16 Procedure for Certification of Prefabricated Buildings, Modules, and Panels

• Ontario municipalities do not have the authority to impose on land developers/builders a construction standard for energy efficiency which exceeds the Ontario Building Code.
• Sections 41 and 51 of the Planning Act do not grant municipalities the authority to regulate energy efficiency construction as part of their site plan control or draft plan of subdivision processes.
• It is unlawful for site plan or subdivision agreements to link occupancy permits to energy efficient construction.
• The City of Toronto does not have the authority to impose construction standards for energy efficiency through its Green Standard.

Of course, clients of CodeNews Consulting Corp., Consulting Architect, will be provided with specific information on how the changes affect their projects.

Effective as of January 1, 2016, the Electrical Code Regulation was amended by Alberta Regulation 126/2015 to facilitate automatic code adoption.  Generally, electrical codes will now come into force one year after the month of their publication, unless otherwise prescribed by the Minister.  The first such code automatically adopted under the amended regulation will be the Alberta Electrical Utility Code.

Effective May 1, 2017, the following codes will be in force as per the Electrical Code Regulation:

• CSA- C22.1-15 – Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1  – This code provides the minimum safety standards for the installation and maintenance of electrical equipment.
• Code for Electrical Installations at Oil and Gas Facilities – 5th Edition, 2015  – This code applies to electrical installations used in the search, transmission or production of oil, natural gas and related hydrocarbons, and it provides area classification guidelines.
• Alberta Electrical Utility Code – 5th Edition, 2016  – This code provides the minimum safety standard for the installation and maintenance of electrical utility systems in Alberta.

• 14-BCI-002     Visual Signals

• Part 3 TAC
• Part 7 TAC
• Part 8 TAC
• Part 9 TAC

• CSA B51 - the boiler, pressure vessel and pressure piping code, which is the national document for non-nuclear pressure equipment in Canada
• CSA B52 - the mechanical refrigeration code
• CSA N285.0  - general requirements for pressure-retaining systems and components in Canada Deuterium Uranium(CANDU) nuclear power plants/material standards for reactor components for CANDU nuclear power plants

Plumbing Safety Variance VAR-P09.01 "Requirements for the Drainage of Water from Elevator Pits" was revised in Jan 2017.

A Fact Sheet titled "Alternative Solutions Guide for Small System Reclaimed Water Reuse" was revised in Jan. 2017.