Keremeos Review - B.C. invests $400,000 to reduce smoke from wood stoves

Keremeos Review - B.C. invests $400,000 to reduce smoke from wood stoves

Check out this article on the BC Woodstove Changeout

Gas Fireplace Efficiency

This week I will be travelling to Mississauga to attend the latest meeting of the CSA Technical Committee on Energy Efficiency and Related Performance of Fuel-Burning Appliances and Equipment. The last meeting was in St John's last June. I am a voting member of this most important committee as is Martin Miles, the chair of our national Government Affairs committee. This TC sets the terms of reference for a plethora of performance standards such as P. 4 and B415. I will also be taking the opportunity of meeting with folks from Natural Resources Canada with whom I have an on-going dialogue.
Gas Fireplaces are not currently regulated for minimum efficiencies. This will change. Our challenge is to ensure that regulators understand the rationale of not setting these minimums too high and not applying minimum efficiencies to "decorative appliances". Gas fireplaces are not purely utility appliances. They need to be aesthetically pleasing and treating them in the same way as furnaces or water heaters is unreasonable.
This is an extensive and complicated area which has taken up a lot of my time, and that of volunteers, over recent months. It encompasses the future of pilot lights, thermostats, maximum BTU limits, the marketing of "decorative" units and the reworking of the performance standard p.4. The process is further influenced and complicated by similar events taking place in the US.
At worst many gas fireplaces, as we know them, could be regulated out of existence. I am pleased to say, though, that the folks at NR Can seem committed to working with us so as to achieve an outcome that the industry can accept.
Discussions will no doubt continue for months to come.

Tony Gottschalk,
Manager: HPBAC

Wood Stove Change Out Program Coming to Ontario

Last week, along with Craig Gutowski and Andrew Vickers from HPBAC's Ontario chapter, I met with staff from Ontario's Ministry of Environment in Toronto.
We have been working closely with them for over a year now, assisting them with their development of guidelines for municipalities who wish to pass by-laws regulating the use of wood burning for residential heating. Through our involvement and a lot of hard work, these guidelines are now well balanced and "industry friendly" while still assisting municipalities in dealing effectively with air shed quality issues.
During our discussions, we often spoke of the need for a change out program. As we all know the old technology stoves are the real problem, not the modern appliances we now supply. So last week we started mapping out a plan together and hope to have something ready to launch in June 2011. We have invited the Ministry folks to the Fireside Symposium in Collingwood where we hope they will present the new municipal guidelines as well as details of the change out program.

Tony Gottschalk

HPBAC 2010 AGM Results

Over 50 members joined the HPBAC board for the 2010 Annual General Meeting at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday, November 15th. Members heard from four HPBAC committees on their activities and the issues the industry is facing in Canada. Jack Goldman of HPBA filled them in on major developments in the US.

Following the meeting, the guests adjourned to the dining room for a wonderful buffet dinner and to lay bets on the horses.

Congratulations to David Malcolm of Over Ridge Fireplaces & Grills in Port Perry, ON who won our door prize - dinner for two at Woodbine Race Track.

Each guest received a $5 voucher for the slots. Martin Miles of Miles Industries managed to parlay his voucher into $95 while Norma Bourque won $50 and Kim Davis won $19.

To receive the minutes of the Annual General Meeting please contact hpbac@bellnet.ca