N.S. government delays adoption of new national building codes

The Nova Scotia government saysit willdelaythe adoption of new national building standards after receiving feedback from the public and the construction industry.

The province announced Thursday that more time is needed toeducateand train people on the new requirements.

The initial set of building code updates was proposed to go into effect on Jan. 1, with further updates taking placeover four years.

The updates include national codes for building, plumbing and energy, all of whichaim to improveenergy efficiency and fire protection among other areas of newly constructed buildings.

"In the current environment, with labour shortages and supply chain issues, more time is needed to effectively plan and adapt to the new code requirements," John Lohr,minister responsible for the fire marshal's office, said in a provincial news release.

In Canada, provinces and territories regulate building construction, but can adopt and modify the national building codes that are developed as a model.

The province did not provide a timeline for when the building code updates will be made, saying in the release it willadoptthe amendments needed in the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations at a "later date."

In December 2022, the province promised to adopt the 2020 National Building Codeas part of a climate change plan.