The carbon monoxide poisoning deaths of a provincial police officer and her family should be all that's needed to convince Ontario politicians to make CO detectors mandatory in all homes, a relative said Wednesday.
Const. Laurie Hawkins, her husband Richard, and their children, Cassandra, 14, and Jordan, 12, all died in December 2008 when a clogged chimney vent caused carbon monoxide to seep back into their Woodstock, Ont., home.
The Hawkins's home did not have a carbon monoxide detector that could have saved their lives, the woman's uncle, John Gignac, said Wednesday.
Gignac said he doesn't want to see another family suffer a similar tragedy.
"People call carbon monoxide the silent killer because it's colourless, odourless and tasteless, but I can tell you it's not faceless," he said.
"I will not let my four family members be forgotten, and I will not be silent about what caused their deaths."
Progressive Conservative Ernie Hardeman has a private member's bill that would amend Ontario's Building Code to mandate carbon monoxide detectors in homes, condos and rental apartments.
The old adage "you won't know what hit you" is really true with carbon monoxide because only a CO detector can reveal its presence, said Hardeman.
"This could happen in the daylight hours as carbon monoxide is collecting and it could overtake you at any time day or night," he said.
"Unless you have a detector to tell you it's there, you will not know it."
Gignac has created a foundation to raise money to buy CO detectors for families that can't afford them and to fight to make the detectors mandatory in all homes, not just those built since 2001.
"I am often asked how I sit in front of people I don't know and tell them this terrible story," said Gignac.
"I tell them that I can feel Laurie tapping me on the shoulder, encouraging me to go on. She would want me to do this, and she would want this law passed in her family's memory."
Hardeman's bill, which is supported by the Canada Safety Council, comes up for second reading Thursday.
Private member's bills rarely become law in Ontario, but Hardeman's previous version of his carbon monoxide bill received all party support in 2009 before it died on the order paper.
"This bill, which should be a no-brainer, has been delayed several times, for reasons that make no sense," complained Gignac.
"That is very frustrating for me and my family, so I'm reaching out personally by telling all MPPs what happened to Laurie and her family so they will do the right thing."
Hardeman's new version of the bill is supported by Municipal Affairs Minister Rick Bartolucci, a sign the Liberal government may be prepared to let it be passed into law.
"I am a huge, let me repeat, huge supporter of carbon monoxide detectors, so I'll give that bill as close scrutiny as possible because it's a good idea for everyone," said Bartolucci. "They save lives."
Carbon monoxide poisoning is blamed for the deaths of 414 Canadians, 87 in Ontario, between 2000 and 2007, said Hardeman.
The CO detectors sell for between $30 and $60 in Ontario stores.
