Carbon monoxide detectors now mandatory for all homes in Saskatoon

The City of Saskatoon is making carbon monoxide (CO) detectors mandatory in all residential buildings in the city.

City councillors passed an update to the city's Fire and Protective Services bylaw at its regular business meeting Wednesday to align the city with provincial regulations.

"We have cold weather and we heat our homes," Brian Conway, The Saskatoon Fire Department's fire marshal, said. "So the implementation of CO alarms is really important in the fact that we'll have that early warning and people will be aware before a tragedy occurs."

In 2022, the province implemented The Building Code Regulations, requiring carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms (or combination carbon monoxide-smoke alarms) be installed in all residential buildings in Saskatchewan, regardless of when the building was constructed.

The city was merely updating its rules to reflect provincial standards. To be in compliance, CO alarms should be installed within five metres -- or 16 feet -- of a sleeping room, as well as where there's a fuel-burning appliance like a natural gas stove, fireplace, furnace or water heater.

Cam Choquette, the CEO of the Saskatchewan Landlord Association, says a bigger impact to residents will be the new requirement of smoke alarms in each bedroom of the city.

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"It does mean every sleeping room in this province needs to have a smoke alarm. So tens of thousands of smoke alarms need to be installed," he said.

Choquette said the association was always in favour of adding more CO detectors in the province, but adding smoke alarms to every residential bedroom has been a challenge for landlords.

"Without good consultation and really without data to show that audibility was a concern between alarms in the bedrooms and those outside in the hallway," he said.

After the regulatory change, landlord association asked the province to provide a rebate for smoke alarms, but that request was denied.

"That lack of evidence in the public policy process had us concerned," Choquette said.

"The amendments are passed we're going to comply and we hope every homeowner does too, but it's tough to get people to install one, two, three or four smoke alarms at typically $40 to $60 a piece when people can't afford gas, groceries and rent right now."

On a cold night in January 2021, an apartment building in Greystone Heights was evacuated because of a carbon monoxide leak.

Thanks to quick thinking from Dr. Mark Wahba treating a patient with symptoms consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning, firefighters were called to the building on Bateman Crescent, where high levels of CO were detected.

Forty-seven people received medical attention because of the leak.

Conway says updating the city's bylaw will hopefully prevent future incidents.

"CO alarms are very important and save lives," he said. Please install one."

Carbon monoxide has no smell, taste or colour and is produced whenever fuel, such as natural gas, is burned.

Low levels of CO poisoning can result in flu-like symptoms such as tiredness, headaches and muscle weakness.

At higher levels of exposure, CO can cause poor vision, dizziness and difficulty thinking.

At very high levels, CO can result in convulsions, coma or death.