Following a fire that killed 32 seniors last January, the government of the province of Quebec has made automatic sprinkler systems mandatory for most seniors’ residences. Many older people in Canada do not stay with their families but pay to live in dedicated residences.
People were horrified when fire swept through such an establishment in L’Isle-Verte trapping many residents inside. A coroner’s inquest looked at the factors that contributed to the deaths. Among the findings was the lack of a sprinkler system in an older wing of the residence.
The coroner had some harsh words last week for some politicians and owners of residences who might be angry about the cost of retrofitting older buildings with sprinklers.
Today the government announced it will provide funding to help defray the costs and there will a transition period to install them. Exceptions will be made for smaller homes with fewer residents.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.