THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT announced that beginning in April, 2010, all newly-built apartment and condo buildings higher than 3 stories will have to be sprinklered.

API Group photo

This will bring the provincial building code closer to the levels found in the rest of Canada.  “The experience of other jurisdictions across North America is clear: Residential sprinklers reduce injuries, deaths and property loss due to fire,” says Pat Burke, Fire Marshal of Ontario.

Richard Boyes, president of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, said that “Ultimately, we would like to see sprinklers being made mandatory in all new residential units including single-family dwellings, townhouses and low-rise buildings.”

Boyes said Vancouver and Scottsdale, Ariz., both require sprinklers in all residential buildings and there hasn’t been a single fire fatality in either municipality since they mandated them 18 and 22 years ago respectively.

CTV has the STORY.

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