Rules won’t let N.S. woman live off the grid
Cheryl Smith wants to live off the grid, but has found it’s not easy to cut her ties with the power company.
Don Smith says his daughter deserves the freedom to choose her own way of life and style of home.
“She wants to live the way her grandparents did back then,” he says. “It’s a decision a lot of people may not agree with, but I mean, it’s not a decision that’s going to hurt someone else.”
Town officials say they understand what Smith is trying to do, but building codes must follow the same standards from coast-to-coast. The building inspector says they’re in place for a reason – to ensure the safety of the homeowner.
“The rules are rules, unfortunately,” says Clark’s Harbour Mayor Leigh Stoddart.
But thanks to Canadian building regulations, the four-by-six metre structure remains half-built and empty. Beside the door are two signs on neon paper. One says "Freedom of Rights Denied!" and the other reads "Work stopped."
The signs went up when Smith was forced to put her moving plans on hold. The homebuilder says she was denied an occupancy permit because her dream house plans don't include electricity.
Canadian laws require living spaces to have access to power to run smoke detectors and air exchange systems,
No comments:
Post a Comment