Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee

That, pursuant to Subsection 89(4) of the Procedure By-law (being By-law N O 2025-100), the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee approve that the Rules of Procedure be suspended to allow for the consideration of the item(s) listed as: Response to Inquiry 4.1 EPPSC 2026-01 – Lithium Battery Fires

WHEREAS the Ottawa Fire Service (OFS) tracks incidents involving lithium-ion battery fires, with 19 incidents recorded in 2024, 25 in 2025, and 10 reported to date in 2026, and over the past two years, as reported to the Ontario Fire Marshal, these fires accounted for approximately 1.5 per cent annually of all fires in the city; WHEREAS the Ottawa Fire Service continues to monitor these trends to inform fire safety guidance and has the operational expertise to respond to incidents involving lithium-ion batteries, but does not have the authority to regulate their manufacture, distribution, or use within the community to the extent of senior levels of government; WHEREAS the City of Ottawa currently has no specific municipal regulations governing the storage or charging of lithium-ion batteries used in devices such as e-scooters and similar micromobility devices, and municipalities would benefit from consistent, province-wide standards to ensure clarity, enforceability, and public safety; WHEREAS the regulation of the manufacture, importation, and sale of lithium-ion batteries and related devices falls under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada, while the Province of Ontario has jurisdiction over fire safety requirements, including indoor storage and charging, through the Ontario Fire Code, which does not currently contain specific provisions addressing the unique risks associated with lithium-ion batteries; WHEREAS Ottawa City Council supports the review and developmen

WHEREAS Report ACS2026-OCC-CCS-0064 was developed in response to repeated resident concerns regarding construction-related encroachment, demolition impacts, and the enforcement of Committee of Adjustment conditions in the context of contemporary urban infill development; and WHEREAS recent discussions between the Councillor’s Office and staff since the report was published and made public on May 19 th note that the City of Ottawa’s existing Right-of-Entry By-law (By-law No. 2005-326) establishes a framework respecting temporary access to adjoining lands for repairs or alterations; and WHEREAS the report acknowledges that Ottawa’s existing Right-of-Entry By-law and the City of Toronto’s Municipal Code Chapter 363, Article 8 share several common elements, including notice requirements, restoration obligations, and temporary access provisions; and WHEREAS the report further identifies that Ottawa’s existing by-law is narrower in scope and was enacted prior to the current scale and intensity of urban infill and demolition activity, and therefore does not fully contemplate broader contemporary construction impacts such as demolition activity, excavation impacts, vibration concerns, prolonged occupation of adjoining lands, construction staging, or modernized enforcement and remedial mechanisms; and WHEREAS staff have now advised that further review is required to determine whether amendments to the City’s existing Right-of-Entry By-law, rather than the creation of an entirely new r