The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing made amendments to Ontario’s Building Code (O.Reg. 30/23) that are now in force:

• Building permits are required for demountable stages and associated sound and lighting equipment towers. These stages must also comply with specific technical requirements for stage safety. This amendment responds to recommendations from a Coroner's Inquiry and from an expert panel on strengthening safety standards in the live performance industry following two stage collapses that resulted in injuries and a fatality in 2011 and 2012.
• Fire damper requirements are being streamlined to facilitate the construction of certain buildings, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. These changes will reduce construction and ongoing maintenance costs for large, complex buildings that are currently being designed and constructed.

The ministry also made amendments to extend Building Code exemptions for temporary health or residential facilities until March 31, 2024 (O.Reg. 31/23):

• Previous amendments to the Building Code (through O.Reg 434/22 - Temporary Health or Residential Facilities) that were made to respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been extended for one more year. The extension is aligned with changes made to Ontario Regulation 144/20 under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 by the Ministry of the Solicitor General by (O.Reg. 32/23). Together, these measures will facilitate continued flexibility in Ontario’s health and shelter systems in support of COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts.