About the OBOA
We are guardians of a better built Ontario.
History of the Association
In 1956 - A group of Building Officials from Ontario attended a building officials meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was here that the concept for an Ontario Association was developed and some weeks later, a group of 40 Building Officials from across the Province convened in Hamilton and were unanimous in agreement that a provincial association should be organized. At this meeting, Mr. C.W. Morgan, Building Commissioner for the City of Windsor, was elected as the Ontario Building Officials Association’s founding president.
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The framework of the association was solidified in the following years with aims and objectives being established and a constitution adopted.
In 1974 - The OBOA began developing and delivering a broad selection of educational courses to building officials, builders and design professionals. These courses were designed to enhance construction skills and knowledge. Today, the OBOA is an industry leader in providing training and access to information for industry professionals.
In 1978 - The OBOA chapter network was established consisting on 24 chapters over six regions. This network is a vital part of the Association as the Chapters aid in furthering the aims and objectives of the OBOA while servicing the needs of the members at a local level.
In 1982 - The Association developed it first certification program for qualifying members. This was the OBOA initial approach to establishing levels of competency in the administration of building regulation throughout Ontario.
In 1992 - The OBOA acquired the “Right to Title” through Private Members Bill Pr40. The “Certified Building Code Official (CBCO)” title became the recognized standard for competency in building code administration and is looked upon by the building industry as a symbol of professionalism and expertise. The parallel designation “Building Code Qualified” (BCQ) was developed for non-Government members or Government members without the required level of experience. CBCO is known as “The Step Above”
In 1994 - The provincial and federal governments recognized the OBOA as a certified educational institution.
In 1997 - A Certification Maintenance program was introduced to further enhance the status of CBCO designation by ensuring that OBOA members maintained an up-to-date measure of Building Code knowledge.
In 2006 - An Internship Program was established for members that do not meet the all of the Provincial Qualification requirements. Internship assists municipalities by allowing employees to continue to perform certain task while completing qualification requirements. This is one of the many projects that the OBOA has collaborated with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on to equip municipalities and building officials with the proper resources.
The OBOA is a self-governing, not-for-profit organization committed to establishing and maintaining a high professional standard in the building code administration field. Its members are dedicated and trained professionals, ensuring public safety for the people that live, work and play in Ontario.