'We need a champion': Ex-firefighter challenges politicians to push for CO detector law
Make detectors mandatory for all homes, says advocate
The story of a Saskatoon woman saved by a carbon monoxide detector has prompted a retired firefighter to again appeal for new safety laws.
John Gignac, with the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education, is pushing for legislation that would make it mandatory for all homes across Canada to have CO alarms.
I made a promise to my brother … that I would warn all Canadians as best I could about the dangers of carbon monoxide.- John Gignac
"We need a champion," he told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.
"A member of Parliament in your area needs to step up and say, 'Listen, I want to champion this bill and put it forward so that we can start working on it.'"
Last week, when the power went out at Pearl Korentchenko's home, the furnace stopped working, so she and her boyfriend made sure to check the batteries in the CO alarm.
Just as they were getting ready for bed, the monitor's alarm went off. They were feeling unwell.
Kornentchenko believes the CO detector saved their lives.
Gignac said that examples like hers underline the need for new laws, and serve as clear evidence that CO detectors save lives.
Personal tragedy fuels drive for new laws
It's not just the stories of other Canadians that drive Gignac.
His niece and her entire family died in 2008 of CO poisoning. He said he will never forget being in the hospital as doctors tried to save his niece's life using a hyperbaric chamber.
"I made a promise to my brother … that I would warn all Canadians as best I could about the dangers of carbon monoxide," said Gignac.
Detectors are now mandatory in Yukon and Ontario. Gignac said there is evidence of good compliance and that the alarms are keeping people safe.
- Ontario passes bill requiring carbon monoxide detectors
- You may never wake up': Why carbon monoxide detectors can save your life
"My whole heart wants to make sure that all of Canada has the same protection," he said.
Gignac hopes to visit Saskatchewan soon to talk about the dangers of CO poisoning and how a federal law could help protect families.
With files from CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning