The Ontario government unanimously passed the Hawkins-Gignac Act into law, making carbon monoxide (CO) alarms mandatory in all Ontario homes with fuel-burning appliances or heating systems, fireplaces or attached garages.
“Now, whether your home is new construction or old, the mandatory requirement for CO protection is the same,” said John Gignac, co-chair of the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education, and the uncle of Laurie Hawkins, who was killed, along with her husband and two children, by CO poisoning in their Woodstock, Ont., home.
He and the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation urge all Ontario residents not to wait until the law takes effect, but to act now and install at least one CO alarm today.
Toronto passed a by-law in 1998 and Mississauga passed a by-law in 1999, the new Ontario law will cover all cities in Ontario.