Ontario is moving forward with a new Building Code. The 2006 Building Code will:
- Set out new energy-efficiency requirements (see separate Backgrounder on energy efficiency changes)
- Establish new construction standards that will make buildings more accessible to people with disabilities
- Facilitate the building of small care homes
- Make constructing small residential buildings easier
- Contain a new format that allows more creativity in building design while maintaining public safety
- Boost Ontario’s building industry by encouraging innovation in building design and products.
The 2006 Building Code sets new standards for accessibility for people with disabilities, supporting Ontario’s goal to be a leader in accessibility. Under a process set out in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the province will continue to work to achieve even higher accessibility standards to be implemented in phases through 2025. The changes to the Building Code are a step towards fulfilling the government’s AODA commitments to improve accessibility for everyone.
The new Building Code also encourages the construction of small care homes by increasing flexibility in the design of such facilities. These changes will make it easier and more cost- effective to build a new small care home or to create one by converting an existing building, and they will help seniors, other Ontarians requiring attendant care and people who have a developmental disability living in small group settings to remain in their neighbourhoods and close to their families.
The Building Code is also being changed to make it easier to design and construct houses and other small buildings by including new requirements that are easy to understand and apply.
The 2006 Building Code is written in an objective-based format. This means that in addition to including prescriptive requirements, the new code will contain objectives explaining the rationale behind the requirements. Builders and designers will now be able to propose alternative designs and building materials that comply with the objectives of the code, while maintaining public safety. This will promote innovation in design and construction.
The new Building Code will also be more closely aligned with those to be adopted in other provinces. The resulting similarity of standards will benefit Ontario product manufacturers, designers and builders who wish to operate in other Canadian jurisdictions.
Most of the changes set out in the new Building Code will be in effect December 31, 2006. Certain energy efficiency changes, however, will not come into effect until the beginning of 2009 and others in 2012, to give the building industry time to prepare for the new requirements.
Certain enabling provisions, including those that promote the use of green technologies such as solar photovoltaic systems and solar hot water systems and those that promote flexibility in the design of small care homes, come into force immediately.
The Building Code is a regulation under the Building Code Act, 1992.
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Contact:
David Brezer
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
416 585-6656