The hazards of unregulated lithium-ion batteries were no more apparent than when fire ripped through several apartment units on Avenue Road last spring, displacing families and sending five people to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The Cambridge Fire Department later concluded the fire was caused by a battery on a bike or scooter that exploded when it was overcharged.
It was one of two fires caused by defective batteries in Coun. Ross Earnshaw's ward this year.
"Thankfully there was no loss of life but there was considerable property damage and displacement of tenants," he told council last night while detailing the incidents that inspired him to table a motion calling on all levels of government to impose strict regulations on the importation of lithium-ion batteries that don't meet Canadian safety standards.
Batteries that aren't certified by the Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) are present in everything from cell phones to mobility scooters and because they avoid inspection are less costly and more attractive to consumers, he said.
Cambridge fire chief Rob Martin helped Earnshaw craft the motion, explaining how not only are the unregulated batteries susceptible to "thermal runaway" high intensity, long lasting fires that are difficult to extinguish, but also emit "a cocktail of dangerous and potentially toxic gases."
Council voted unanimously in favour of the motion, including its support of ongoing campaigns from the CFD and Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal to educate the public about the dangers of some lithium-ion batteries.
The resolution will now be circulated to seek support from municipalities across the province and Canada.