Final 2010 NBC Public Review

The final public review of the 2010 editions of the national construction codes is scheduled for the period of September 1 to October 30, 2009. The public review focuses on issues considered to be of highest priority based on consultations with provincial and territorial regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders. They include approximately 50 proposed technical changes to the National Building Code (NBC), the National Fire Code (NFC) and the National Plumbing Code (NPC). The main issues affecting the residential construction industry pertain to climbable guardrails, protection of falls from windows, and radon gas. CHBA - Alberta strongly encourages members to visit the website and leave their feedback.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report

Last year, the CHBA released its first report on the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance of the residential sector. This report examined the period between 1990 and 2005, and it showed convincingly that housing is leading the way when it comes to addressing energy efficiency and climate change. Housing was one of the only sectors to have cut total GHG emissions in accordance with the Kyoto Accord, in spite of significant growth in the number of homes since 1990. The CHBA has just released its 2006 update of this report, and the news continues to be great. There have been further improvements in the environmental performance of homes, and housing continues to outperform other sectors by a significant margin. Click here to download the report.

Indoor Air Quality Workshop

A one-day workshop is being hosted in Edmonton on November 10, 2009 by the Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA) to help identify the priorities for development of ambient air quality objectives. These objectives will most likely have an impact on future building codes in the areas of HVAC, building envelope, plumbing, etc. The workshop will be limited to 10 CHBA - Alberta members and so if interested, please contact Linda Jabs at ljabs@casahome.org by Friday, September 25, 2009.

STANDATA on Reporting Electrical Incidents

Section 15 of the Administrative Items Regulation requires that electrical incidents (as well as fires which are suspected to be of an electrical origin), be reported as soon as practicable to the Alberta Municipal Affairs’ technical administrator for the electrical discipline, either directly or via a safety codes officer. The main purpose for reporting an incident is to ensure that a safety codes officer representing the jurisdiction in which the incident occurred has an opportunity to determine whether further investigative action is required. The purpose of an incident investigation is to determine whether the cause is the result of non-compliance with the Safety Codes Act. Click here to download the STANDATA.

CMHC Housing Outlook Conferences

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Outlook Conferences offer access to reliable, impartial and up-to-date information. Get local housing market intelligence you can count on for Calgary and Edmonton. Register today.

Off to BUILD 2009

CHBA - Alberta's annual conference is taking place later on this week in Jasper September 17 - 20. Delegates are sure to have a wonderful time at the annual event comprised of a costume party, awards ceremony and president's gala not to mention the two-day golf tournament, workshops and trade show. We look forward to catching up with many of you in Jasper.

Thank you to the incredible sponsors, trade show participants and delegates who even during tough economic times have supported BUILD. It's about being there during the good times and the bad and supporting those who support you.

The office will be closed starting Tuesday, September 15 and will reopen Wednesday, September 23. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will be checking voicemail and email while the office is closed.