Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, a former firefighter with decades of frontline experience, is sounding the alarm over new provincial government policies that allow the construction of new small single-staircase, multi-family residential buildings up to six storeys.
In a strongly worded call for repeal earlier this month, Hurley warned that the changes -intended to support housing affordability and design flexibility — pose serious safety risks for residents and first responders alike.
His stance marks one of the most prominent rebukes yet from a municipal leader since the B.C. government introduced the policy shift in Summer 2024.
“Affordable housing should not mean unsafe housing. As we address the housing challenges, we still must do our homework to ensure we’re not placing our citizens in a compromised safety position,” said Hurley during a Burnaby City Council public meeting earlier this month.
Burnaby City Council approved the Mayor’s member motion calling on the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to call on the provincial government to repeal the policies in the B.C. Building Code enabling such buildings with one single exist stairway. The next UBCM convention is in September 2025.
“This is a ridiculous suggestion by this government for gaining very little through the housing, [creating] maybe one apartment, one extra apartment in a building. In no way is that ever worth putting people’s lives at danger,” said the Mayor, who was previously Burnaby’s Assistant Fire Chief and the Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Hurley provided an anecdotal example from his firefighting career, when an arsonist was lighting fires across Burnaby, including the fire exits and stairwells of buildings. He suggested that if these buildings had just one stairwell, many people could have been injured or killed in those incidents.
He then cited troubling statistics on building fire safety, noting that 40 per cent of fire safety systems in existing apartment buildings — including smoke detectors and sprinklers — do not meet current codes and may not function properly. Fires occurring in residential hallways and stairwells, which serve as critical evacuation routes, now account for nearly nine per cent of all residential fires, with smoke from these incidents quickly obstructing exits. Alarmingly, nearly eight-in-ten deaths related to a fire incident are attributed to smoke inhalation.
Hurley wants the provincial government to suspend the policy, reopen the consultation process with fire departments, public safety organization, and municipalities, and use B.C.-specific data for the evaluation of alternative design concepts that mandate at least two stairwells.
Previously, at least two stairwells were needed for multi-family residential buildings three storeys and higher.
Prior to the provincial government’s decision last year to approve the regulations, the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association and other public safety organizations expressed opposition and concern for the new policies.
The provincial government had previously considered single-egress buildings as tall as eight storeys, before dropping the regulations down to up to six storeys based on the recommendations of a contracted consultant, which also outlined a range of enhanced safety design feature requirements such as enhanced sprinklers, smoke-management systems, and wider stairwells.
Pushed forward by some local housing advocates, single-egress stairwell buildings are intended to make more efficient use of limited land by allowing private developers and non-profit housing providers to construct smaller, taller buildings on compact sites, potentially including single-family lots. By requiring only one exit stairwell, the building footprint can be reduced, freeing up space for additional units and helping to lower construction costs. These buildings can also be constructed using mass timber, which supports faster, more sustainable construction while aligning with provincial goals for increased housing supply and climate-friendly development.
While this new building form has generated a bit of buzz — praised by housing advocates for its potential to improve affordability and supply, and criticized by others for safety concerns — it remains uncertain whether many of these buildings will actually be constructed, let alone become commonplace.
Supporters of this building form often point to major European cities, as well as New York City and Seattle, where similar policies allow single-egress mid-rise residential buildings and have been integrated into the urban fabric. Last year, Seattle’s fire and building code officials opposed the Washington state legislature’s passing of new policies that expand single-stair buildings statewide. Generally, a growing number of jurisdictions in Canada and the United States are considering such buildings, and in each instance, they are also opposed by their local fire and safety officials.
The B.C. government’s policies enabling such buildings currently do not apply to the City of Vancouver, which is the only jurisdiction in the province with its separate self-regulated building code.
In February 2025, Vancouver City Council directed City staff to continue exploring the potential for allowing new single-staircase multi-family residential buildings — similar to the provincial policies — and to consult with Vancouver Fire Rescue, architects, and builders. With input from local fire officials, ahead of City Council’s direction, City staff had opposed the adoption of such policies, echoing concerns raised during the provincial government’s earlier consultation process. Among the key issues cited was the assumption that life safety systems in these buildings would always be properly maintained.
It remains to be seen whether City staff will oppose such building allowances again when they report back on their findings and recommendations in Fall 2025.
