April 20, 2022

City of Edmonton: Permits and Licensing Initiative – The City of Edmonton has released its 2022-2023 Permit and Licensing Improvements (PLI) Initiative Roadmap. CHBA-ER provided feedback on behalf of members on which service improvements to include in the Roadmap. CHBA-ER also wrote a letter of support for the PLI Initiative. Key work streams outlined in the Roadmap include improvements to development and construction application processing timelines, permitting transformations for businesses, improvements to customer service, and more. Read more.

City of Edmonton: Service Changes – The City of Edmonton has introduced a number of building and trade permit service changes that members should be aware of, including:

• Resuming in-person building and trade inspections for alteration and renovation projects in occupied buildings – Effective April 4
• Establishing new summer hours (7:00 am – 4:30 pm) for site inspections – Effective April 28
• Offering in-person permit inquiry meetings at the 2nd Floor Service Centre in the Edmonton Tower Downtown
• Shifting the Building Inspections Team to the capacity-based booking system

Read more.

Town of Stony Plain: Land Use Bylaw Amendments – On April 11, the Town of Stony Plain approved a number of amendments to the Land Use Bylaw which will allow for a greater diversity of housing types. CHBA-ER worked closely with Administration to develop amendments to allow for Zero Lot Line development with a 2.4m sideyard, which will enable builders to put windows in one side yard without the use of sprinklers while still meeting High Intensity Residential Fire (HIRF) regulations. CHBA-ER wrote a letter and spoke in support for the proposed amendments. Read more.

March 23, 2022

City of Edmonton: Credit Card Increase - In response to CHBA-ER advocacy, on March 1, 2022 the City's credit card payment limit for development-related service fees increased from $5,000 to $10,000. This increase was made to help reduce barriers to development and provide payment option flexibility for applicants while being mindful of and limiting transaction service fee charges. Thank you to the City of Edmonton for making this change that supports building in Edmonton. 

Infill Fire Protection Program: Deadline for Applications Extended - EPCOR Water Services has extended the application period for the Infill Fire Protection Program, which is a cost sharing program for developers and builders who may require water infrastructure upgrades to ensure sufficient fire protection at their future infill property. The closing date for applications is now March 31, 2022. Please note that an Infill Fire Protection Assessment is required to be considered for funding and must have been requested through the City of Edmonton no later than March 15, 2022. Apply here.

ATCO Site Readiness and Mobilization Charges - ATCO has seen a decrease in site readiness, resulting in multiple trips to sites and overall delays in service installations. Effective April 1, 2022, ATCO will be utilizing the mobilization charge of $222, as outlined in the 2022 customer fee guide, where sites are not ready according to the Site Readiness requirements. All requirements of Site Readiness are found in contracts. Read more. 

City of Edmonton: Public Tree Bylaw - The City of Edmonton’s new Public Tree Bylaw will be in effect as of May 1, 2022. The Bylaw is intended to enhance protection of City-owned trees and gives the City the ability to require builders to obtain a Tree Protection Permit when working within close proximity to City trees or natural stands. CHBA-ER successfully advocated against fees associated with the permit process for 2022. Read more. 

St. Albert: Land Use Bylaw Amendments Approved - On March 21, 2022 St. Albert City Council approved amendments to the Land Use Bylaw to remove lot width distribution regulations for single-detached dwellings and ensure consistent corner lot side-setbacks for street-oriented townhouses. CHBA-ER wrote a letter in support of the amendments. Read more. 

February 23, 2022

New Electrical Code in Effect - The new 2021 Electrical Code is in effect as of February 1, 2022. The most significant change to the new Code is the removal of Table 39 which specified the wire size for the service. As a result, all new undergrounds will have to be sized to Code. Builders should consult with their electrical contractor to determine if there may be issues with the electrical service’s ability to provide power above 180 amps.

BILD Alberta is engaging electrical professionals to better understand a universal approach to address 200 amp services. Until then, talk to your electrician and Authority Having Jurisdiction on specific alternatives. All Master electricians should have taken an upgrade/review course of the new code by February 1 or they may not be able to pull electrical permits.

City of Edmonton - UPDATE: Temporary Heat Permits – The City of Edmonton is reminding builders to ensure they obtain the required temporary heat permits, call for inspections and follow the guidelines for all sources of temporary heat. Failure to follow permit and inspection guidelines may result in the suspension of temporary heat applications for up to a 6 month period. Please note, the City has released additional information regarding Temporary Heat Permits. Read more. 

City of Edmonton - Residential Demolition Process Change: Asbestos Notice of Project – Starting February 1, 2022 where residential demolition permit applications indicate the presence of asbestos, permit issuers at the City of Edmonton will confirm that an Asbestos Project Notification has been submitted to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). Read more.

City of Edmonton - UPDATE: Garage Electrical Receptacle Requirement Changes – Effective February 1, 2022, any electrical receptacles in garages that are 30 amps or greater will require a load calculation unless there is an energy management system installed with the receptacle. Read more. 

January 19, 2022 

City of Spruce Grove – Cityview Launch – The City of Spruce Grove will be launching the Cityview Portal on January 24, 2022. CityView will enable more processes to be completed electronically and create a portal for builders to submit applications online. Please note, from January 19-21 the City is unable to accept any applications or process inspection requests as they shut down the old system and start up the new one. The system will be back open on January 24. Read more.

City of Edmonton – 10 Minute Fire Response Boundary Map and Construction Practices Update – On January 1, 2022 the City revised the 10 minute Fire Response Boundary map. To determine if the home that you are building is inside or outside the 10 Minute Response Map, refer to City of Edmonton Maps and select ERD Public Data on the legend.  

Also effective 1 January 2022, the City will only accept building permit applications for construction projects outside the 10 minute response time boundary that contain plans and/or specifications that reflect applicable Code-compliant wall assemblies per Article 9.10.15.3. of Division B of the Code or a specific variance by alternative solution using the process outlined in Sentence 1.2.1.1.(1) of Division A of the Code. Read more.

CHBA-ER has created a Fire Protection Requirements webpage which contains resources for members.

City of Beaumont - 10 Minute Fire Response Requirements Change – A recent assessment of Beaumont Fire Services’ response times determined that Beaumont Fire Services is not able to respond to structural fires within 10 minutes of receiving a call 90% of the time. Effective November 30, 2021, all building permit applications for Beaumont must meet construction requirements in the National Building Code Alberta Edition 2019 (NBC-AE 2019) for a location without a 10 minute response time as applicable. As of December 16, 2021 City announced they will accept sprinkler systems as an alternative solution to allow for standard construction methods. Read more.

City of Edmonton - UPDATE: Temporary Heat Permits – The City of Edmonton is reminding builders to ensure they obtain the required temporary heat permits, call for inspections and follow the guidelines for all sources of temporary heat. Failure to follow permit and inspection guidelines may result in the suspension of temporary heat applications for up to a 6 month period. Please note, the City has released additional information regarding Temporary Heat Permits. Read more.

City of Edmonton - Residential Demolition Process Change: Asbestos Notice of Project – Starting February 1, 2022 where residential demolition permit applications indicate the presence of asbestos, permit issuers at the City of Edmonton will confirm that an Asbestos Project Notification has been submitted to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). Read more.

City of Edmonton - UPDATE: Garage Electrical Receptacle Requirement Changes – Effective February 1, 2022, any electrical receptacles in garages that are 30 amps or greater will require a load calculation unless there is an energy management system installed with the receptacle. Read more.

Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act – Effective December 1, 2021, Alberta’s Bill 47, the Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020, came into effect. This legislation will replace Alberta’s current Occupational Health and Safety Act in its entirety. Read more.