John Hopkins-Hill
Peculiar Ponderings
Let’s talk about something exciting.
Not the Oilers recent exit from the playoffs, not the latest hijinks south of the border, but something truly exciting.
Codes Canada publications.
Public safety and infrastructure has been quite the popular topic around town lately. There has been quite a bit of finger pointing and buck-passing lately, and oftentimes the best way to get to the bottom of it all is to check the relevant documents.
Laws are easy. All it takes is five minutes on your search engine of choice, I’m looking at you Alta Vista, and you can track it down online, free and in full.
It truly brings a tear to my eye seeing the system work.
If you want to get into documents that are a little more hands on in their nature, think building and fire codes, accessibility takes a big hit.
Let’s take a look at an example.
The National Building Code of Canada 2015, a 1,400-page epic split into two volumes, is available online for purchase from the National Research Council (NRC) online store for the low, low price of $350. For that one-time payment, you get your own personal copy of the code in a binder.
I can hear you already, “but what about other options? Surely there is a cheaper way.”
And you’re absolutely right. If you’re willing to forgo the lovely binder, you can get a softcover edition for $335.
But stay with me, it gets better. If you want a PDF version – save the whales, after all – that will cost you $350 as well.
And it’s locked to an individual computer.
And you can’t transfer it.
And printing is disabled.
What a deal!
So if it’s $350 for a hard copy in a binder, why would anyone pay the same price for a hob- bled digital version with digital rights management that would make EA blush?
It’s all a setup of course, designed to sign you up for subscription. Just $45 for two months access from any computer. Kick that time period up to a year, and you shell out $140, but you gain the ability to print to your hearts content.
Are we talking about the code that is meant to set the standards for safety in construction in this country or micro trans- actions in Candy Crush?
The NRC explained in an email that there are a variety of reasons the documents cost so much. First of all, they include intellectual property that is “developed, updated and made available at significant expense, including printing and distribution.”
Let that sink in.
The NRC said part of the reason for the high cost is printing, yet they charge more for a digital copy than for a softcover copy of the exact same document.
Next on the list of reasons was the cost associated with the 400 volunteers and nine standing committees that work together to write the document.
Fair enough. If that’s what it takes to keep us and our buildings safe, so be it.
The NRC says they offer “several economical alternatives” for accessing the building code, referring to the subscriptions, again starting at just $45.
Maybe, just maybe, the documents that govern what we can and can’t build should be available to everyone, even those without $45 burning a hole in their pocket.
Although in that case, the fire code might be money well spent.