In July 2023, Council enacted the Solid Fuel Burning Control Bylaw, establishing a requirement for solid fuel burning appliances (such as fireplaces or woodstoves) installed and operated in homes within Vanderhoof to be certified to Canadian or US standards. This requirement came into effect on July 1, 2024.
Some key pieces of information from this bylaw include:
- Appliances which are not certified to the standards referred to in the bylaw must be replaced with a certified appliance, removed or permanently disabled. Any real estate sale involving a home containing an uncertified appliance cannot continue until the appliance is replaced, removed or permanently disabled.
- Operating an uncertified appliance after July 1, 2024 is a violation of this bylaw; owning an uncertified appliance is also a violation, unless it has been permanently disabled.
- If a certified solid fuel burning appliance is installed in new construction, a secondary heating source is required to be installed to ensure the home can be heated during air quality advisories where solid fuel burning is not allowed.
The full details of Bylaw 1251, 2023, may be viewed on our Document Centre.
For more information, please contact our Corporate Officer.
