Construction codes are essential in supporting safe, energy efficient homes and buildings for Canadians. As the construction industry employs nearly 1.4 million Canadians, a harmonized set of codes reduces regulatory burden and removes internal trade barriers.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, has announced a new governance model for the National Model Codes development system.
The new federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) governance model replaces the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, the committee that was responsible for code development in Canada since 1991.
“To build a stronger economy and to reduce internal trade barriers, our government is adopting a more collaborative approach with provinces and territories to harmonize construction codes across the country,” Champagne says. “The new National Model Codes development system will ensure there is more consistency in innovative building techniques such as helping to meet energy efficiency standards. This will help to see more growth, more jobs, and better homes for Canadians.”
In Canada, provincial and territorial governments have the constitutional authority to enact legislation that regulates building design and construction within their jurisdictions to meet their specific needs. For the National Model Codes to become law, they must be adopted by a province, territory, or other authority having jurisdiction (e.g. a designated municipality).
The 2018 Fall Economic Statement made the National Model Codes free to access online, and led the Government of Canada to sign the Construction Codes Reconciliation Agreement to harmonize the National Model Codes with Canada’s provinces and territories in 2020.
The new FPT governance model includes the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes, overseen by a new Canadian Table for Harmonized Construction Codes Policy. It was developed to integrate provinces and territories into the national process, bringing Canada significantly closer to harmonized construction codes across the country.
Iain Stewart, president, National Research Council of Canada and federal co-chair, Canadian Table for Harmonized Construction Codes Policy, says the new model marks an important step in the government’s efforts to harmonize construction codes in Canada.
“We look forward to continuing to work with provinces and territories in the transformed National Model Codes development system, to make advancements in key code priority areas such as climate change,” Stewart says.
Current provincial and territorial building, fire, plumbing and energy regulations will continue to remain in effect. Design and construction officials should consult the relevant provincial or territorial government to find out what regulation applies in their location.
With this new approach, the code development system will be more responsive to provincial and territorial code priorities and will result in more efficient construction in Canada. The new model will contribute to lower construction costs for industry and reduce internal trade barriers related to manufacturing, operation, inspection, education, and training. Adoption of more harmonized codes will accelerate the construction of energy-efficient buildings, creating more affordable and efficient homes for Canadians, while also helping to meet Canada’s net-zero goals.
By further enabling the timely adoption of harmonized construction codes, it is estimated the new FPT governance model will bring Canada an economic benefit between $750 million to $1 billion per year by 2028.
Canada’s National Model Codes include the National Building Code of Canada, the National Fire Code of Canada, the National Plumbing Code of Canada and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. The most recent versions are the 2020 editions of these codes.
The National Research Council of Canada publishes the National Model Codes for free, in electronic format, through the NRC’s Publications Archive and for purchase, in printed format, from the NRC’s virtual store. ■
