Physicians group pushes Coquitlam to adopt new building codes and address ‘invisible health crisis’

A previous version of this story erroneously referred to Rhiannon Fox as a physician. Fox is a coordinator with the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, not a physician.

Cutting carbon and ushering in improved energy efficiency is crucial for the health of Coquitlam residents, according to Rhiannon Fox.

Fox, who serves as regional coordinator with the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, was in council chambers Monday urging Coquitlam council to accelerate the city’s transition to zero carbon step code.

City staff are set to confer with B.C. Hydro before a formal plan back to council for approval. Council previously discussed introducing new building codes in 2026 before moving to the Zero Carbon Step Code in 2028. However, Fox pushed council to move to that standard this year.

“Coquitlam should be leading, not lagging, in this transition,” Fox said. “Developers are already building to this standard elsewhere, proving that it’s both economical and feasible.”

Electrifying homes by introducing electric heat pumps and improved insultation should primarily be seen as a public health policy, she said.

“Methane gas, which is what’s used to heat our homes, is marketed as natural gas, and unfortunately it pollutes our homes and communities,” Fox told council, discussing the pollutants that create what she called an: “invisible health crisis.”

While gas stoves increase the risk of childhood asthma by 42 percent, gas appliances have also been linked to respiratory illnesses and birth complications, Fox said.

Fox also emphasized that seniors, children, low-income households, and racialized communities are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events such as heat domes.

“Building policies are also equity policies,” Fox said. “You have the opportunity here to protect public health, address climate resilience, and ensure that Coquitlam remains a leader in creating healthy, sustainable communities for generations to come.”

Council is moving toward the more stringent building code, which is scheduled to be mandatory in B.C. by 2030.

“It’s a matter of when, not if,” Coun. Matt Djonlic told Fox.

Djonlic previously suggested the city might be able to bump its final deadline from 2028 to 2027.

“The winds are blowing in this direction and I think everybody realizes that,” he said. “If we’re hearing from our development community that they’re ready for this . . . . then that’s something we could certainly consider advancing.”

The impact on construction costs is fairly negligible, topping out at two percent. However, the development industry generally needs a longer runway to adapt to architectural changes, explained city planning manager Andrew Merrill.

Buildings account for about 42 percent of Coquitlam’s GHG emissions. Unless or until they’re retrofitted, buildings that primarily use fossil fuels “further contribute to these emissions in perpetuity,” according to a city staff report.

While the building standards would impact the electrical grid, a city staff report noted BC Hydro is planning to invest $360 million to support infrastructure in the Tri-Cities over the next decade.