'I was sick to my stomach:' Former firefighter calls for tougher CO rules after deaths of 2 Sask. children

An advocate for stronger rules around carbon monoxide detectors says the recent deaths of two Saskatchewan children could have been prevented.

"To be honest with you, I was sick to my stomach," John Gignac told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning. "I just hate hearing about carbon monoxide incidents that I feel can be prevented."

On Tuesday, RCMP said two childrendied of suspected carbon monoxide poisoningat a recreational community in the Prince Albert area.

A Prince Albert family has namedBenjamin Sanderson, 12,and Nacada Levesque, 13, as the two people who were found dead. The children were also identified in a GoFundMe Page approved by the family.

Darryl Berini, a cottage owner living on Janice Place at Emma Lake, saidhe saw several RCMP vehicles plus an ambulance and fire truck at a nearby cottage Tuesday afternoon the same time reported by the RCMP.

Gignac, a former firefighter, wants to see mandatory carbon monoxide alarms in all Canadian homes, new or old. Ontario and Yukon currentlyrequire them.

"We need to have equal protection for every citizen and every province," he said.

Right now, newly-built homes in Saskatchewan must have working carbon monoxide detectors. In Saskatoon, any home with a detached garage or fuel-burning fireplace also must have working alarms near each bedroom in the house.

Provincial regulations mandate all day care centres and alternative family care homes also have the alarms.

The provincial government said in an emailed statement that it hadadopted the national building code in October 2009, requiringnew buildings to have carbon monoxide detectors. However, there is no requirement for homes builtbefore that date to have detectors.

Personal stake

Gignac has a personal stake in the issue. Ten years agoGignac's niece, along with her husband and two children, died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to their gas fireplace.

The family didn't have a working alarm.

Gignac said the alarms are inexpensive and can have a battery life of up to 10 years.

"You just have to make sure that you're aware of how they work," he said. "Put them into your home and they'll start protecting you against a silent killer right away."

Carbon monoxide is a odourless, colourless gas, which makes a working alarm one of the only ways to detect it. It's often caused by blocked air vents or a malfunctioning ventilation system which traps exhaust inside the home.

People suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning can experience headache, fatigue and shortness of breath, but Gignac said the only way to know for sure is to have an alarm.

"We don't like to leave it to that knowledge of whether you think you're sick from carbon dioxide," he said. "The only way you can tell is if you've a working carbon monoxide detector in your home."

According to the provincial coroner's office, 16 people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning since 2015.

Six of the deaths were from carbon monoxide leaking into the home or garage, while the other ten were cases of people dying in fires.

As well, 46 people were sent to hospital after a buildup of carbon monoxide in a Winnipeg hotel earlier this week. There were no fatalities.