A plan to improve air quality in the Comox Valley.
HPBAC welcomes the opportunity for collaboration & partnership with local Comox Valley governments.
Why the ban doesn't make sense
People will continue to use old wood stoves and air quality issues cannot be addressed
An affordable and responsible option for home heating will disappear
Local businesses that manufacture, sell and service clean burning EPA certified wood stoves and employ local residents will suffer unnecessarily
Newer wood stoves meet stringent EPA emission standards.
New, high-efficiency wood stoves are Clean Burning and EPA-certified, producing up to 90% fewer emissions. They fall well within or below acceptable particulate emissions standards per hour. These stoves use advanced technology and offer added benefits in terms of heating efficiency and reduced wood product consumption. In fact, thanks to investments in research and innovation, some of the most efficient wood stoves on the market today are made right here in British Columbia.
Old, uncertified
stoves can emit over
EPA 2020 certified
stoves emit less than
25.0 g/hr
2.5 g/hr
Responsible wood burning is easy with the right wood stove.
Just like old cars – older models of wood stoves, inappropriate burning and poor maintenance impact air quality in regions of dense use, with risks to human health. It's incumbent upon those of us who burn wood, to upgrade our stoves, maintain them properly and use smart burning practices
Upgrade to an EPA-certified wood stove
Always burn dry wood
Perform regular wood stove maintenance
Voice your support
for our proposal.
Contact the following people and voice your support.
Courtenay Mayor
Bob Wells
Comox Mayor
Russ Arnott
Cumberland Mayor
Leslie Baird
Jesse Ketler
CVRD Board Chair
This message has been brought to you by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada
Sign up to stay informed about the status of the ban.
Local suppliers who manufacture, sell and service clean burning EPA certified woodstoves will suffer economically as will our forest products industry
People will continue to use old woodstoves and air quality issues cannot be addressed
An affordable and responsible option for home heating will disappear
Old, uncertified
stoves can emit over
25.0 g/hr
EPA 2020 certifed
stoves emit less than
2.5 g/hr
This message has been brought to you by the Hearth. Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada
Burning wood is a way of life.
In the Comox Valley, burning wood to heat our homes is a way of life and an economical choice. Moreover, wood stoves are a reliable source of home heating for supplemental heat, emergencies, including power outages. The right to choose a clean-burning, EPA certified wood stove should be restored with appropriate provisions.
Recently, HPBAC and its Vancouver Island members presented an alternative, progressive, evidence-based policy proposal to improve air quality in the Comox Valley to the City of Courtenay and the Village of Cumberland. We look forward to presenting the proposal to the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and the Town of Comox.
Local governments have adopted by-laws limiting the installation of new wood burning stoves. While these regulations vary by municipality, none recognise the advances in modern EPA certified wood stoves that vastly lower particulate emissions and mitigate air quality issues.
View your community's regulations »
HPBAC is looking forward to a response from local governments regarding its proposal. The proposal includes targeted initiatives to ensure residents have access to seasoned dry wood and an industry driven exchange program to provide an opportunity to replace older uncertified stoves with efficient certified wood burning appliances.
Please continue to voice your support for a plan to safeguard responsible wood stove use.
“We welcome the consideration of Industry’s proposal which has been tabled in the spirit of collaboration and partnership. We look forward to the acceptance of the proposal so we can move forward and address our shared goal of improving air quality. We will update everyone as progress occurs.”
Chris Bowen, Pioneer Fireplace
For more information, please visit the HPBAC Burn Smart page