A Look at Various Initiatives Taking Place Thus Far This Year

The OAA’s Policy and Government Relations (PGR) team has had a productive first half of 2023. Working collaboratively with the Association’s other service areas, PGR has been actively monitoring the ongoing harmonization of the Ontario Building Code and National Building Codes. It has also been instrumental in helping to advance legislative changes pertaining to long-term care and employment standards. The OAA has also actively participated in numerous consultations and spearheaded the development of tools to enhance climate action through innovative building design.

This article summarizes some of the work accomplished thus far this year. For further insights into the OAA’s Policy and Government Relations work and correspondence, explore the OAA’s GR Portal.

Building Code Harmonization

The OAA’s PGR and Practice Advisory Services (PAS) teams work collaboratively to address the ongoing consultations on harmonizing the Ontario Building Code with its National Code counterparts. In particular, PGR staff provide support for policy considerations related to energy efficiency and seek input from the Climate Action Advisory Group regarding such consultations.

Since the start of 2023, there have been three consultations, two of which were led by PGR with support from the Climate Action Advisory Group. Read the recent submissions made to the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC) on the OAA Website.

Long-term Care

Following the co-sponsorship of long-term care (LTC) research by the OAA and Jacobs Canada, Dr. Stephen Verderber’s white paper was summarized into a backgrounder and executive summary. While the provincial government appears to have other priorities related to LTC at the moment, PGR staff sent these summary documents to the Ministers of Long-term Care and Municipal Affairs and Housing to demonstrate the OAA’s and its members’ willingness to collaborate with the government in revising the LTC Design Guidelines. Read the submission the OAA made.

Employment Standards Act Exemptions for Architects

For nearly a decade, the OAA has been actively advocating for the removal of exemptions for architects in the Employment Standards Act, and remains steadfast in its recommendation. In 2016, the Association was pleased to participate in the government’s Changing Workplaces Review, and was encouraged by the review of professional exemptions. Moreover, the OAA was honoured to be recognized as an exemplary regulator and consulted more extensively on this review.

The OAA undertook to survey its membership to gather their perspectives on the professional exemptions. The findings revealed that while there was some dissent among the members, 96% of those surveyed supported the removal of professional exemptions for architects.

In March, PGR staff met with representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Trade, and Skills Development to discuss the elimination of professional exemptions from the Employment Standards Act. Although Ministry staff had limited knowledge about the exemptions, they expressed willingness to conduct further research and provide updates. Updates on this file will be provided to the membership when they are available.

Government Consultations

PGR staff continuously monitor legislative proposals and seek opportunities to respond to various public consultations. Among the many consultations in which the OAA has participated this year, one of particular significance was the consultation led by the City of Toronto regarding as-of-right multiplexes. With the support of the OAA and numerous other stakeholders, this policy was successfully passed at City Council by way of an amendment to the City of Toronto’s Harmonized Zoning Bylaw 569-2013, making multiplexes as-of-right in neighbourhoods citywide. Read the OAA’s submission to the City of Toronto.

Climate Action Tools

To further enhance the capacity of its members in driving climate action, the OAA continues to develop publicly accessible tools to promote awareness and knowledge about creating climate-friendly buildings. In collaboration with the Climate Action Advisory Group, PGR staff has built on the OAA’s existing tools and contributed to the development and implementation of two new tools. These features are now “soft launched,” with more information to be shared with the membership shortly.

Case Study Template

Although the Climate Action page on the OAA Website has historically featured case studies, a new template tool allows members to easily populate a fillable online form and directly upload their case studies directly to the OAA Website. This streamlined approach ensures the case studies section remains evergreen, with new information constantly being added as members leverage this tool. The hope is the public will also be able to see the work being done by the architecture profession in this regard.

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