Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes
The Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC) is responsible for the development of Canada’s National Model Codes, which contain objectives related to health, safety, accessibility, the protection of buildings from fire or structural damage, and the protection of the environment.
The National Model Codes are:
- National Building Code of Canada (NBC)
- National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC)
- National Fire Code of Canada (NFC)
- National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NEBC)
- National Farm Building Code of Canada (NFBC), last published in 1995
The NBC sets minimum requirements that address safety, health, accessibility, energy efficiency and building protection. The NPC includes provisions for the safe installation of potable water systems, the removal of wastewater to municipal or private sewage water systems, and water use efficiency. The NFC addresses fire safety during the operation of buildings and facilities and the NECB sets out acceptable requirements for energy use of large buildings. The NFBC applies to farm buildings of low human occupancy and contains minimum requirements on matters affecting human health, fire safety, and structural sufficiency. The model codes are technical and presume that users are knowledgeable.
The National Model Codes have no legal authority until they are adopted by a government authority (for example, a provincial or territorial government) with the appropriate jurisdiction.
The Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes is made up of representatives from provincial, territorial, and federal public services.
The CBHCC’s current membership is as follows:
| Board members | Position on the Board |
|---|---|
| Jun’ichi Jensen, Acting Executive Director, Building and Safety Standards Branch, Ministry of Housing, British Columbia, provincial representative | Member and co-chair |
| Thomas Ferguson, Director General, Construction Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada (NRC), federal representative | Member and co-chair |
| Steve Murphy, Executive Director, Community & Technical Support, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Alberta | Member |
| Peter Wotherspoon, Chief Codes Administrator, Building and Technical Standards, Ministry of Government Relations, Saskatchewan | Member |
| Joe Kasprick, Program Manager – Building Codes, Inspection and Technical Services, Labour and Immigration, Manitoba | Member |
| Mansoor Mahmood, Director, Building and Development Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ontario* | Member |
| Mary Prencipe, Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal, Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, Ministry of the Solicitor General, Ontario* | Member |
| Silvia Garcia, Vice-President, Regulation and Innovation, Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Québec | Member |
| Trevor Murray, Building Code Administrator, Technical Inspection Services, Justice and Public Safety, New Brunswick | Member |
| Glenda MacKinnon-Peters, Director, Department of Housing, Land and Communities, Prince Edward Island | Member |
| Lorelei Atkinson, Fire Code Coordinator/Plans Examiner, Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Building and Fire Safety, Office of the Fire Marshal, Nova Scotia | Member |
| Thomas Jardine, Design Approval Engineer, Service NL, Newfoundland and Labrador | Member |
| Hector Lang, A/Director, Building Safety and Standards Branch, Department of Community Services, Yukon | Member |
| Sano Karkee, Senior Technical Officer Code Compliance, Northwest Territories | Member |
| Tarique Chaudhry, Community and Government Services, Safety Services, Nunavut | Member |
*Ontario holds two seats on the Board (one for safety and one for building) but has one vote.
The CBHCC was established in November 2022, replacing the Canadian Commission for Building and Fire Codes, which had been responsible for developing and maintaining Canada’s National Model Codes since 1991. The governance change was a significant step towards supporting the development of harmonized construction codes in Canada, which will help remove barriers to the free movement of goods, services, and investments within Canada. You can learn more about the transition here.
Governance and structure
The CBHCC approves the content of the National Model Codes and works within a system of groups that provide oversight, advice, and develop proposed changes.
Long description of the diagram of the new governance model to harmonize construction codes in Canada
The Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC) is the decision-making body for the National Model Codes.
The Canadian Table for Harmonized Construction Codes Policy (CTHCCP) oversees the CBHCC and sets the strategic direction for the National Model Codes.
Technical committees develop proposed changes to the National Model Codes. The technical committees include task groups and working groups.
The Advisory Council for Harmonized Construction Codes is made up of representatives from a range of member organizations who provide advice on policy and implementation.
The Codes community is made up of code users, interested organizations and the public, which provide input through public reviews and public meetings.
Canadian Table for Harmonized Construction Code Policy: The CBHCC is overseen by the Canadian Table for Harmonized Construction Code Policy (CTHCCP), which sets the strategic direction for code development.
The CTHCCP is made up of provincial, territorial, and federal deputy ministers (or equivalent representatives) and is co-chaired by a representative from the provinces and territories and the NRC member on behalf of the federal government.
Advisory Council for Harmonized Construction Codes: The CBHCC receives advice on policy and implementation related to the National Model Codes from the Advisory Council for Harmonized Construction Codes (Advisory Council). The Advisory Council consists of individuals from a range of member organizations representing municipal officials, emergency responders, the building industry, and other organizations with an interest in the regulation of building construction and operation through Codes. Membership of the Advisory Council is approved by the CBHCC.
Code development committees and task groups: Changes to the National Model Codes are undertaken by code development committees. Each code development committee is made up of volunteer experts that focus on specific technical topics.
The CBHCC also approves the creation of short-term task groups, working groups, and advisory groups. These groups study specific issues and make recommendations either to the CBHCC or to the applicable parent committee.
More information on code development committees and task groups is available here.
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) provides secretarial services to the CBHCC through Codes Canada, an administrative unit under the NRC’s Construction Research Centre.