Ontario building code changes to make balcony glass safer
Ontario's housing minister has announced new building code rules she says will prevent glass from breaking off high-rise balconies.
Kathleen Wynne says the province will require construction companies to install the same kind of heat-resistant glass used in car windshields close to the outside edge of balconies.
Construction firms will also have to use heat-strengthened glass for both the inside and outside edges of balconies.
The move comes after a recent spate of incidents that have seen shards of glass rain down from skyscraper balconies in Toronto.
Wynne says the rules will kick in July 1 and are meant as an interim measure until national standards are developed.
The changes apply only to new construction.
