P.E.I. to expand national building code provincewide

Canada's national building code, which on P.E.I. is currently enforced only in Charlottetown and Summerside, will soon be adopted across the province.

'If you do have situation where fire arises, it doesn't necessarily spread.' — Bill Chandler, Architects Association of P.E.I.

For years, groups like the Architects Association of P.E.I. and the Association of Professional Engineers of P.E.I. have been lobbying for the code to be adopted provincewide.

Architects Association registrar Bill Chandler told CBC News Thursday buildings will be more structurally sound and the people in them will be better protected from fires.

"When you're working with national building code, it does things like it compartmentalizes buildings, compartmentalizes attic spaces," said Chandler.

"If you do have situation where fire arises, it doesn't necessarily spread throughout the whole building. [It] gives the fire department time to get there and put it out, or allow sprinkler systems to put it out."

It still has not been determined if all buildings in the province will have to be built to the code. Some types of structures may be exempt. Those details are still being worked out.

Provincial public safety director Aaron Campbell said in the past, the government did have concerns about how much administering the national code would cost, as well as concerns from industry that building to the code would be more expensive.

"Nonetheless, the overall concern and the benefit of the adoption of the national building code is to contribute to the protection and safety of occupants of the building, to protect the building itself and those adjacent to those buildings," said Campbell.

The government expects it will take a year to 18 months to consult with the industry and adopt the code.