City to province: Get sprinklers in seniors’ homes
Toronto city council is asking the province to bump up the timeline for requiring seniors’ homes to be equipped with automated sprinkler systems.
In the wake of a deadly January fire that claimed as many as 32 lives in a L’Isle Verte, Que. retirement residence, the city wants existing seniors’ homes retrofitted with automated sprinklers earlier than 2025, the date imposed by the Ontario Building Code.
Council also wants the province to consider introducing a low-interest loan program in order to get renovations under way sooner.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said St. Paul’s councillor Joe Mihevc, who brought the motion forward. “It’s better to spend a few small dollars now than mega dollars battling the flame and dealing with all the tragedy.”
