FAQs: Regulations, By-laws

This section deals with a number of common questions or topics related to building matters.

Subjects include:
- Dangerous and Unsightly Premises
- Fire Inspections
- Fire Safety Planning
- Bridgewater's Burning By-Law

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DANGEROUS AND UNSIGHTLY PREMISES
The Town of Bridgewater enforces the requirements of Section 15 of the Municipal Government Act of Nova Scotia. The Act requires that "every property in a municipality shall be maintained so as not to be dangerous or unsightly."

"dangerous or unsightly" means partly demolished, decayed, deteriorated or in a state of disrepair so as to be dangerous, unsightly or unhealthy, and includes property containing:

(i) ashes, junk, cleanings of yards or other rubbish or refuse or a derelict vehicle, vessel, item of equipment or machinery, or bodies of these or parts thereof,

(ii) an accumulation of wood shavings, paper, sawdust, dry and inflammable grass or weeds or other combustible material, or

(iii) any other thing that is dangerous, unsightly, unhealthy or offensive to a person, and includes property, a building or structure

(iv) that is in a ruinous or dilapidated condition,

(v) the condition of which seriously depreciates the value of land or buildings in the vicinity,

(vi) that is in such a state of non-repair as to be no longer suitable for human habitation or business purposes,

(vii) that is an allurement to children who may play there to their danger,

(viii) constituting a hazard to the health or safety of the public,

(ix) that is unsightly in relation to neighbouring properties because the exterior finish of the building or structure is not maintained,

(x) that is a fire hazard to itself or to surrounding lands or buildings, or

(xi) that has been excavated or had fill placed on it in a manner that results in a hazard;

Dangerous and Unsightly premises concerns may be forwarded directly to our Community Development Department for referral to staff. Please contact us at 902-543-4371 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

FIRE INSPECTIONS
The Town of Bridgewater employs municipal fire inspectors as required by the Fire Safety Act of Nova Scotia. The inspectors carry out a system of inspections on the following occupancies:

1. Assembly occupancies (churches, community halls, licensed establishments, restaurants, theatres, bowling alleys, arenas, rinks, gymnasiums, museums, indoor pools)
2. Residential occupancies containing 4 or more dwelling units (apartments, motels, hotels)
3. Business and personal service occupancies (offices, banks and service shops)
4. Mercantile occupancies (stores, markets and retail outlets)
5. Industrial occupancies ( workshops, factories, warehouses, repair garages, gas stations)

The inspectors are responsible to ensure compliance with the National Fire Code of Canada and are available to provide information on fire safety and fire emergency planning.

FIRE SAFETY PLANNING
The National Fire Code of Canada requires that certain buildings shall develop and maintain a Fire Safety Plan. In an effort to assist owners/occupants in the development and/or maintenance of these plans, the Office of the Fire Inspector for the Town of Bridgewater has prepared a Fire Safety Planning Guide. Building owners/occupants are encouraged to use this guide as a template to prepare or enhance their plans so that they meet the requirements of the Fire Code.

The following occupancies are required to have a formal fire safety plan:

1. Assembly occupancies(any building in which persons gather including restaurants, halls, gymnasiums, libraries, churches, clubs, bowling alleys);
2. Every building required to have a fire alarm system including sprinklered buildings;
3. Areas used for bulk storage;
4. Areas where flammable or combustible liquids are stored or handled;
5. Areas where hazardous processes or operations occur.

If your building falls within one of the categories listed above, you are required to have a fire safety plan. For more information or to obtain a hard copy of our fire safety planning guide, please call or visit the Fire Inspector at: Community Development Department, 60 Pleasant Street, Bridgewater  Tel: 902-541-4371.

The Fire Safety Plan 2019 is available below: 

document Fire Safety Guide and Template 2021 (206 KB)  (205 KB) (MS Word document)

pdf Fire Safety Guide and Template 2021 (298 KB)  (298 KB)  (PDF document)

STOP -  Always check the burn ban on the Provincial website before burning: https://novascotia.ca/burnsafe/

BURNING BY-LAW
The Town of Bridgewater has a Burning By-Law which relates to the use of outdoor barbeques.

Please click here for the Town's pdf Burning By Law (93 KB)

Proper construction of    pdf Outdoor Barbeques (286 KB)