The Manitoba government updated provincial fire safety regulations on Feb. 10, 2026, to better manage phased sprinkler retrofits at health-care sites across the province, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced. The changes will apply province-wide and will directly affect work at the Peguis Personal Care Home and the Peguis Health Centre. Shared Health is the lead implementation agency overseeing the sprinkler-retrofit program.
The regulatory update focuses on how buildings are managed while plumbing and sprinkler systems are being installed. Because retrofit work often requires opening walls and ceiling voids, facilities are required to keep enhanced interim safety measures in place until construction is complete. Those measures, as described by the government, include regular inspections, staff training, response planning, enhanced fire-watch patrols, coordination with local fire services and, where required, modified evacuation routes.
People who live in or visit the Peguis facilities should be aware the upgrades may cause temporary changes to normal operations. That could include moving residents between rooms within a facility or changing visiting hours while work zones are active. Peguis First Nation project materials and community reports show this work is part of a longer-term effort to bring older health buildings in the community up to current life‑safety standards.
The regulatory update follows a provincial law, first enacted in 2015, that set a Jan. 1, 2026 target for sprinkler protection in personal care homes and hospitals. The government says many sites—especially in rural and northern communities—are still in the retrofit phase. Manitoba has emphasized interim protections while work continues and is using a phased schedule to finish installations across the system.
