Metro Vancouver Wood Burning Restrictions Explained
Effective September 15th, 2022
As of September 15th 2022 if a homeowner in Metro Vancouver wants to burn wood in their home they must meet the requirements of MVRD Bylaw 1303. These include registering your wood burning unit, using best practices for wood burning and ensuring your appliance produces fewer than 4.5 grams/hour in particulate matter emissions. In this article we will walk you through everything you need to know about MVRD Bylaw 1303 including who this regulation affects, an overview of Wood Burning best practices, and how to register your unit with the appropriate authorities.
What is MVRD Bylaw 1303?
MVRD Bylaw 1303 was first passed in 2020 and takes a phased approach to regulating the discharge of air contaminants from residential indoor wood burning appliances. The following is a quick synopsis of the different phases.
May 2021: Seasonal Prohibition – Homeowners cannot burn between May 15 and September 15 each year, unless it is their sole source of heat, they are in an off-grid rural home, or during an emergency
September 2022: Declarations and Registration – If homeowners burn, they must declare their use of best burning practices and, in urban areas, register eligible appliances.
September 2025: Renewal and Restricted Use* – Every three years homeowners must renew any declarations and registrations in urban areas. They cannot use non-registered appliances within urban areas except if their house-hold qualifies as low income or during an emergency.
Who Does this Affect?
Metro Vancouver is a collection of 21 municipalities, one Electoral Area, and one Treaty First Nation that covers a large portion of the area known as the lower mainland. If you live in one of the following areas the MVRD Bylaw 1303 Wood Burning Restrictions outlined in this article apply to you:
| • Anmore • Belcarra • Bowen Island • Burnaby • Coquitlam • Delta • Electoral Area A • Langley |
• Township of Langley • Lions Bay • Maple Ridge • New Westminster • North Vancouver • District of North Vancouver • Pitt Meadows • Port Coquitlam |
• Port Moody • Richmond • Surrey • Tsawwassen First Nation • Vancouver • West Vancouver • White Rock |
Source: Metro Vancouver Members
Wood Burning Best Practices
Following wood burning best practices is essential to reducing the emissions of a wood burning fireplace appliance. Watch the video below to learn the best practices for burning wood from cutting / stacking / seasoning wood to startup / smoldering and even annual maintenance – if you follow best practices you will be able to keep your wood unit burning cleanly for many years.
How Do I Register My Eligible Wood Burning Unit?
- The name(s) and contact information for the owner and operators of the appliance
- The address of the appliance
- The make/model of the appliance
- The certifications/evidence that the registered appliance meets the current standard.
