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B.C. city decides below-code homeless shelter better than no shelter at all

City of Nanaimo to ease building and fire code enforcement at emergency shelters
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Nanaimo city council has approved a staff proposal to ease enforcement of building and fire code and zoning bylaws for extreme weather shelters and warming and cooling centres. (News Bulletin file photo)

The City of Nanaimo plans to back down from fully enforcing building code and fire code regulations in an effort to make it easier for operators to provide emergency shelters and warming and cooling centres.

The decision was made by city council at a meeting Monday, Nov. 20. Lisa Brinkman, community planning manager, presented a proposed policy addressing the city’s liability regarding buildings used for warming and cooling centres and emergency shelters that don’t fully meet building and fire codes for those uses.

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Chris Bush

About the Author: Chris Bush

As a photographer/reporter with the Nanaimo News Bulletin since 1998.
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