Introduction

Harmonized Construction Codes
The Canadian Free Trade Agreement established a regulatory reconciliation process that will help to address barriers to trade that companies may experience when doing business across provincial and territorial borders. The signatories to the federal/provincial/territorial (F/P/T) Construction Codes Reconciliation Agreement (CCRA) are committed to reducing variations between the National Model Codes and provincial/territorial construction codes, transforming the national code development system, and undertaking timely adoption of updated National Model Codes.

The national code development system will be transformed to:
  • be more responsive and agile
  • include collective decision making by the federal, provincial, and territorial parties
  • integrate the provincial and territorial code development processes
  • continue to engage stakeholders and the public
  • result in fewer variations between construction codes
Harmonizing construction codes across Canada will help to decrease construction costs and reduce barriers related to manufacturing, operation, inspection, education and training.
Transformed Code Development System

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The National Model Codes are currently developed by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC), an independent committee of volunteers, and its committees and task groups. The CCBFC will be replaced by a new governance structure, led by an F/P/T Deputy Ministers (DM) Table that establishes strategic code development priorities, and managed by an F/P/T Code System Board that operationalizes policy direction. Development of content for the National Model Codes will continue to be carried out by technical committees made up of volunteers, based on input from industry, regulators and the broader stakeholder community. The structure of the technical committees is under development, with the objective of enabling agility and responsiveness to code development priorities. The current standing committees will remain in place until the end of the 2025 code cycle, with opportunities for current members to be part of the new technical committees in the 2030 code cycle and beyond.

The new Advisory Council, which will consist of members from a range of industry and interested party categories (including advocacy groups, municipal officials, and emergency responders), provides advice to the Board on the strategic direction of the National Model Codes and the overall impact of proposed code changes (note that input on individual code changes will continue to be provided through participation in technical committees, code change requests, and public reviews). Further information on the Advisory Council is provided under the following survey questions.
Transition
The Transition Coordination Committee for the CCRA is developing a transition plan to ensure the continuity of code development work for the 2025 code cycle and a smooth transition to the new governance model. The transition will commence after the 2025 code cycle work is well underway and early enough to ramp up for the 2030 code cycle (in early 2025). Additionally, the CCBFC Executive Committee is proposed to continue to support the code development system during the 2025 code cycle, as both an advisory body and as a standing committee for Divisions A and C.
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