Today the Ontario government has unanimously passed the Hawkins-Gignac Act into law, making carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in all Ontario homes with fuel-burning appliances or heating systems, fireplaces, or attached garages.
In the days following the 2008 carbon monoxide poisoning tragedy that killed OPP constable Laurie Hawkins, her husband Richard and their two children Cassandra and Jordan in Woodstock, Laurie's uncle John Gignac made a pledge to "warn everyone I can about this silent killer and urge people to install a CO alarm so no other family has to endure the hell we have been through."
That mission has now received a major boost as the Private Members' Bill named in his family's memory has now become law with unanimous all-party support at Queen's Park. Bill 77 - which mandates the installation of a carbon monoxide alarm in any home with a fuel-fired device or appliance or an attached garage - was brought forth in 2009 by Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman who tenaciously advocated for the law despite numerous setbacks.
