There is no way to enforce building or fire codes on First Nations and pursuing a legislative fix would require significant time and money, federal officials warn in an internal briefing document.
But Blaine Wiggins, the senior director of the Indigenous Fire Marshals Service, said that enforcement gap has "catastrophic" consequences.
But a briefing document prepared for the deputy minister of Indigenous Services Canada says there is currently no way to enforce provincial or national building or fire codes for buildings on reserves. "As most fire deaths occur in residential buildings, enacting a similar approach to on-reserve communities would mean that First Nations individuals could be restricted from accessing their own property on First Nation land," officials said in the briefing note.Wiggins says whether it's new legislation or a bylaw a First Nation has enacted, the government must provide the necessary funding and resources to ensure these standards can be met.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement that the government is not planning to legislate fire protection after consulting First Nations partners and communities.
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