Q-253 , 38th Parliament, 1st session October 4, 2004, to November 29, 2005

With regard to the finding in 1981 by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) that there had been a significant increase in the incidence of moisture damage in frame construction and the conclusion that construction practices associated with energy conservation measures increase the hazard of moisture induced structural damage: (a) did CMHC conclude that it had an obligation to warn stakeholders of the problem and, if so, what was the nature of the obligation; (b) did CMHC warn the provinces in 1981 and, if so, on what date and what was the nature of the warning; (c) did CMHC warn the Deputy Minister of Energy in 1981 and, if so, on what dates and what was the nature of the warnings; (d) did the Deputy Minister of Energy reply and, if so, on what dates and did he acknowledge that energy conservation measures were a source of the problem; (e) did CMHC warn the National Research Council and its associate committee on the National Building Code in 1981 and, if so, on what date and what were the nature of the warnings; (f) did the National Research Council and its associate committee on the National Building Code reply and, if so, on what date and did they acknowledge that the National Building Code was a source of the problem; (g) did CMHC warm homeowners of the problem in 1981 and, if so, on what date and what was the nature of the warning, if not, why; (h) did CMHC warn architects of the problem in 1981 and, if so, on what date and what was the nature of the warning, if not, why; (i) did CMHC warn builders of the problem in 1981 and, if so, on what date and what was the nature of the warning, if not, why; (j) did CMHC advise the Barrett Commission of the problem they encountered in 1981 and did they provide the Commission with copies of all letters of warning and, if not, why; (k) did CMHC conclude in 1981 that there was similar moisture damage in social housing, co-op and other federally funded housing and, if so, what was the date and nature of the warnings; and (l) did CMHC warn their counterparts in foreign countries, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan and, if so, on what date and what was the nature of the warning, if not, why?