This consultation was open from:
November 4, 2024
to December 4, 2024
Decision summary
The ministry has amended the Building Code to allow the Director of the Building and Development Branch to exempt certain qualified individuals who are qualified in Manitoba from having to take building code exams in Ontario.
Decision details
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has amended the Ontario Building Code (O.Reg 163/24) to allow the ministry to conduct equivalency assessments for building officials from Manitoba. This will allow the Director of the Building and Development Branch, upon approval of a recommendation/report by a panel of subject matter experts, to determine if an applicant’s knowledge of Ontario’s Building Code is equivalent to the ministry’s technical exams.
Doing so will provide suitably qualified applicants with a pathway to practice in Ontario and help address building official shortages in northern Ontario communities within close proximity to the Manitoba border.
Effects of consultation
The ministry carefully considered the public feedback provided by stakeholders and members of the public during the consultation period.
Additional policy changes may be considered at a later date that further responds to stakeholder feedback (e.g., expanding scope of the program to include all provinces/territories or expanding the scope of the program to include other qualified individuals).
Supporting materials
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Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
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Contact
Chetan Mistry
12th Flr, 777 Bay St,
Toronto,
ON
M7A 2J3
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
Issue
At the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) 2024, the municipality of Kenora raised challenges in recruiting a Chief Building Official and other Building Officials, citing MMAH’s qualification and registration requirements as a barrier to entry for out-of-province Building Officials from Manitoba who may be technically proficient but unable to practise in Ontario without sitting its exams.
Proposal Summary
The ministry is proposing to bring forward changes to support Ontario municipalities to recruit knowledgeable building officials from outside Ontario by eliminating labour mobility barriers, while protecting public health and safety. This will be enabled through the creation of a Building Official Equivalency Assessment process that will determine if an applicant’s Building Code knowledge is equivalent to the technical exams that comprise the ministry’s Qualification and Registration program. Updating the qualification process for Building Officials from out of province is expected to help meet the Building Code enforcement needs of local communities and prevent delays in the construction of new houses.
Ministry staff would carefully evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis to ensure that all applicants have the appropriate qualifications to maintain Ontario’s requirements for public health and safety.
Building Officials from Manitoba that have been granted exemptions from ministry exams, would be subject to the same registration requirements as those currently working in Ontario.
All applicants will be required to pass a relevant Building Code legal exam to ensure that they are aware of the legislative and regulatory requirements set out in the Building Code Act and Building Code.
Additional details on the proposed regulatory change and the guidelines, policies and procedures respecting a new Building Official Equivalency Assessment program can be viewed in the Policy Document included in the Supporting Materials section.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from November 4, 2024
to December 4, 2024
Connect with us
Contact
Chetan Mistry
12th Flr, 777 Bay St,
Toronto,
ON
M7A 2J3
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
7By email
10By mail
0