This week Courtenay Council passed a new bylaw banning the installation of wood stoves in new construction or in homes that have not had a wood burning device (homes with wood stoves or fireplaces may upgrade to an EPA/CSA approved stove).
This bylaw helps ensure the wood smoke problem doesn’t get worse by capping the number of stoves in the city. There is still a lot of work needed to clean up our air, but this is a good first step.
Cumberland’s bylaw not adequate
Although Cumberland lead the way on banning new installations, unfortunately, their bylaw only prevents new stoves in newly constructed homes.
As most wood stoves are installed in older homes, the Cumberland bylaw does not help to cap the wood smoke problem as Courtenay and Comox have done. Cumberland residents living in all but the newest of subdivisions may still face an increase in stoves in their neighbourhood.