Canada’s North is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, and thus northern communities and infrastructure must deal with effects that include changing temperatures and precipitation patterns, permafrost degradation, and coastal erosion.

With support from the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), free standards and training have been developed by CSA Group under the Northern Infrastructure Standardization Initiative (NISI) to design, plan, build, and maintain northern infrastructure in a changing climate. These standards help building owners, operators, and those responsible for public and community infrastructure, to build and maintain infrastructure in a changing climate.

• Check out free CSA standards and associated self-paced online training modules, including:
• CSA S500:21, Thermosyphon foundations for buildings in permafrost regions;
• CSA S501:21, Moderating the effects of permafrost degradation on existing building foundations;
• CSA S502:21, Managing changing snow load risks for buildings in Canada's North;
• CSA S503:20, Community drainage system planning, design, and maintenance in northern communities;
• CSA S504:19, Fire resilient planning for northern communities; and
• CSA S505:20, Techniques for considering high winds and snow drifting and their impact on northern infrastructure.

Complete these training modules to earn Structured Learning hours under the OAA’s Continuing Education (ConEd) Program. CSA will award a certificate of completion on successful completion of each module.

Reminder: Licensed Members have free access to over 190+ CSA Standards

The OAA provides licensed members with free viewing access to all CSA standards referenced in Ontario’s Building Code and the National Building Code of Canada. If you have yet to register for this free program, visit the OAA Website for more on information.


This article originally appeared in the Practice Advisory newsletter, which is developed by the OAA’s Practice Advisory Services team to offer numerous resources for both members and the public. The OAA does not provide legal, insurance, or accounting advice.

Readers are advised to consult their own legal, accounting, or insurance representatives to obtain suitable professional advice in those regards.