The Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Act (the UBAS Act) was replaced by The Construction Codes Act (the CC Act) on January 1, 2022.
All forms, documents, orders, bylaws and permits issued under the UBAS Act remain valid under the CC Act unless these items conflict with the CC Act, in which case the provisions of the CC Act take priority.
In accordance with The Construction Codes Act (the CC Act), local authorities may make building bylaws:
- Prohibiting any person from starting the construction, erection, placement, alteration, repair, renovation, demolition, relocation, removal, use, occupancy or change of occupancy of any building unless that person is authorized by a permit to do so;
- Providing what information should be included in permit forms for the construction, erection, placement, alteration, repair, renovation, demolition, relocation, removal, use, occupancy or change of occupancy of a building;
- Providing how permits are issued;
- Describing the circumstances in which a permit may be revoked;
- Prescribing the terms and conditions when a permit may be granted;
- Listing the payment required to issue permits;
- Requiring an applicant wanting demolition or building removal permits to provide a deposit in an amount required by the municipality and to agree to conditions concerning the refund of that deposit.
The Ministry of Government Relations will review and help local authorities to develop their building bylaws for adoption. Once adopted by council, the municipality has 60 days to submit their building bylaws for formal review and approval by the Minister of Government Relations. Bylaws will be processed and returned to the municipality no more than 60 days from being received.
The Minister has four options for approval, which include:
- Approving the bylaw, if the bylaw does not conflict with this Act or the Regulations;
- Not approving the bylaw, if the bylaw conflicts with this Act or the Regulations;
- Approving the bylaw in part; this occurs when part of a bylaw does not conflict with the Act or the Regulations and is severable from the part of that bylaw conflicts with the Act or the Regulations;
- Approving the bylaw on the condition that council makes amendments to it where a part of the bylaw conflicts with the Act or the Regulations but does not materially affect the bylaw in principle or substance.
Municipalities must appoint a licensed Building Official in accordance with the CC Act to provide services on behalf of the local authority.