Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to thank MLA Groenewegen for bringing up the recent awareness of carbon monoxide detectors. In fact, this is now the third time that I rise before this House on the issue of carbon monoxide detector awareness, and now is the second time that I rise about the findings of the Yukon Oil-Fired Appliance Working Group as a result of that tragedy, and this is my second time regarding specific concerns of the Arctic Energy Alliance.
There was an oral exchange yesterday between the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and MLA Groenewegen. I wish to dovetail on this topic. Admittedly, the Minister of MACA mentioned yesterday that all structures built from 2008 now have a CO detector due to national building codes. Can the Minister indicate which community regional office oversees the compliance, the review, the approval and the final inspection of installation of fuel-fired appliances, which would include pellet stoves especially in our non-commercial single-family dwellings and auxiliary buildings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fire marshal’s office would usually review the plan and they would all have to be code compliant as far as the actual inspection. If they are private dwellings built in communities, if they have a municipal enforcement officer, a building plans officer, I’m sure he would inspect them. In the case of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, all of our units are inspected by our projects people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister clarify one more time? He used the word “if.” By what means and how does the Department of MACA monitor the safe installation inspection of oil-fired, wood and pellet stoves in our communities?
Through our fire marshal’s office under the review of the building plans. Thank you.
The fact remains that I’m not sure if the Minister is truly answering the question that I’m trying to get to. There’s a basic premise for my questions. Who governs, inspects and validates the compliance of our NWT fire prevention regulations in our non-commercial, single-family dwellings and auxiliary buildings? Could the Minister indicate what his department is doing to make sure this sector of our market is complying to standards and are not just subject to request of adherence to specific guidelines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We all know that the carbon monoxide issue is a big one the last little while and we are doing what we can to deal with it. The Housing Corporation, their part is to make sure all of our units, all 2,400 units have working CO detectors, and through the fire marshal’s office and the Fire Chief Association of the NWT, we’re creating a public awareness program to ensure that all our residents understand the importance of having carbon monoxide detectors. Again, through the fire marshal’s office, we would work with communities to make sure they are compliant with the new code. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the Minister’s reply, but when can we expect to see the department and Minister review the findings and recommendations from this Yukon tragedy and formally come up with a plan, a policy or a framework to protect all buildings, including residential buildings in all residences of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
We were working on a plan while this tragedy happened in the Yukon. Unfortunately, a tragedy like this brings the issue to the forefront, therefore, it gets a lot more publicity, but we didn’t wait until this report came out to do the work.
As I said, all 2,400 of our public housing units have working carbon monoxide detectors, so we’ve been proactive. We haven’t been reacting to the issues that happened in the Yukon and we will continue to be proactive on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
