Henry’s Law will amend Saskatchewan’s building code to honour Henry Losco, the 11-year-old boy who died after a fatal carbon monoxide leak in his fourth-floor apartment in downtown Regina.
Carbon monoxide alarms are already mandated in Saskatchewan homes, but this regulation is being strengthened. Multi-unit complexes in the province, including apartment and condominium buildings, will be obligated to have a carbon monoxide detector in every suite, the province’s Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz announced Tuesday.
“When someone passes away, you always have the thought that ‘what could we have done more?’ and I don’t have a time machine. I don’t have a way to go back and change this, but we can change it now. We can prevent this from happening again in the future,” Schulz said.
Detectors will be required to have a minimum battery life of 10 years, he added.
The updated code will apply to all apartment and condo buildings, regardless of their age. Schmalz said the province will ensure landlords and building owners have the time and resources to prepare.
“With Henry’s Law, when Saskatchewan residents lay their head to rest at night, they should expect to be safe from the dangers of carbon monoxide,” said Schmalz.
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Henry’s parents, Marina and Sergio Losco, also spoke at the minister’s announcement.
His mother said she believes the province coming together on the nonpartisan motion to ensure Saskatchewanians are safe would have pleased Henry.
“We want laws that help save people, and families, and children. This was exactly what my son would have wanted — to see people working together,” she said.
“That was my son. He was kind.”
It is unclear if the detector alerted residents in the Regina apartment building where the Losco family lived when the boiler had a false ignition, which led to the fatal chemical being released, the fire department shared in an investigative update late last month.
“We’re not entirely sure what happened in this instance. Obviously, those matters are still under investigation, but we are going to be watching very closely to see exactly where that breakdown was and how it occurred,” said Schmalz.
The Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan is still investigating and when its work is done, its recommendations will be considered, the minister added.
Saskatchewan’s current regulations call for detectors to be placed near appliances that can emit the chemical.
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