I am a Canadian and Ontario…

I am a Canadian and Ontario citizen and taxpayer strongly urging the next edition of Ontario’s Building Code incorporate the Canadian Standards Association A460:19 bird-friendly building design standard. I am not alone in asking you to incorporate bird-friendly design into the Ontario Building Code. I join dozens of Ontario MPPs and more than 60 provincial and national organizations.

Annually, about 25 million birds die in Canada after colliding with windows. That number is equivalent to approximately 66% of Canada’s human population. Birds pollinate plants, disperse seeds and reduce pesticide use by eating massive numbers of insects.

Bill 23 “More Homes Built Faster Act” 2022 has removed municipal governments’ authority to enforce green building standards, resulting in the discontinuation of bird-friendly building design guidelines enforced by numerous Ontario municipalities: Ajax, Aurora, Brampton, Burlington, East Gwillimbury, Fort Erie, Guelph, King, London, Markham, Mississauga, Newmarket, Ottawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto, Vaughan and others. The only other option to protect avian life in Ontario and subsequently reduce biodiversity loss and aid Ontarians’ health is to change the provincial building code.

Implementing bird friendly design in new buildings does not impede development. It is a negligible (< 1%) increase in overall construction cost. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks funded the development of the Canadian Standards Association A460:19 bird-friendly building design standard in 2019, which was later endorsed by the Ontario Association of Architects.

Please see the provided link where the Ontario Association of Architects states “The CSA A460 Bird Friendly Building Design standard presents a ready and achievable opportunity to ensure efficacy, feasibility, and consistency in bird-friendly design across the province.”

I urgently request that the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) A460:19 bird-friendly building design standard be incorporated into the next edition of Ontario’s Building Code.