REGINA — The NDP says it is holding off on introducing a bill for stricter carbon monoxide alarm requirements, after the province has indicated it wants to bring in regulatory changes.
In a statement, Opposition Government Relations critic Erika Ritchie said their team had been working towards introducing Bill No. 623 — The Building Code Regulations (Henry’s Law) Amendment Act.
But on Monday she said that Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz indicated last week "he would be willing to work collaboratively with us to deliver on regulatory changes to make carbon monoxide alarm requirements stricter.”
“We are taking the government at its word that this is a priority for them and, as such, will not be introducing Bill 623 today,” Ritchie said.
During Question Period, Minister of Government Relations Eric Schmalz confirmed that changes were coming and would be announced in the coming 24 to 48 hours,
The focus on toughening the requirements for carbon monoxide detectors came about following the tragedy in December in which 11-year-old Henry Losco died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his apartment building on Albert Street in Regina. An investigation by Regina Fire Department later determined it was the result of a leak due to a malfunctioning boiler inside the building.
Both of Henry's parents, Sergio Losco and Marina Hills appeared at the Legislature on Monday. They expressed appreciation for the bipartisan support being seen from the two parties.
"We were surprised. We couldn't believe that they reached out to us and said, something has to be done and we're making changes now," Hills said.
"It's really nice to see that they're working together. We were touched. This is a positive step forward for all of us in Saskatchewan."
Hills said they were promoting awareness of the issue "because we don't think any other children in this province should die. No more. It's got to stop. My son should be the last one."
In speaking to reporters, Minister Schmalz said a new bill will not be needed and that the issue will be addressed through regulatory changes, which can be done through an order in council.
"I want to again thank Sergio and Marina and Claudette for their advocacy in ensuring that Saskatchewan people are helping our government protect Saskatchewan people in their homes," said Schmalz.
"We are currently reviewing regulatory amendments where we can potentially provide direction on how this will be rolled out across the province to ensure that there will be augmented carbon monoxide detection in multi-unit dwellings."
He said the government had previously amended the regulations in 2022 to exceed what was the standard at that time.
"Right now we've found that this is a gap here that we're going to try to amend and ensure that this doesn't happen again," said Schmalz.
He adds that "we are going to lead the country after this regulation amendment happens. I've committed to Marina and Sergio that I will take this to my federal, provincial and territorial meetings this summer and discuss it with my colleagues across the country to ensure that they're aware of what we're doing in Saskatchewan and to tell the story of Henry and his family."
As for what these changes are going to mean on the ground, Schmalz said further detail will be provided when the regulation changes are introduced. One thing he emphasized is they want to make sure that "the landlords have opportunity to bring this in, as you say, phase in, to ensure they have time to react to regulatory changes. We want to be fair to everybody and ensure that compliance can happen in a reasonable time."
