said by patcat88:Code illegal, the shutoff must be at the fixture. You can feel free to add more shutoffs whereever you want for maintenance, but there must be one at the fixture.
So are you using current NY code or NY code from 23 years ago to decide this code issue in Ottawa, ON? And are you sure the existing lines weren't grandfathered in under previous codes prior to that.
Regardless, what difference does it matter. If it doesn't have a shutoff now it doesn't have a shutoff. It doesn't change the fact whether it is or isn't against code then or now. And if he is asking to add one, he's fixing the problem anyways.
To the OP, I'd try to trace back from the water heater. Depending on how the pipes are ran you may or may not be able to find it. If it's ran in a finished wall, it could have been covered up. Or it was never there and there was only a shutoff at the street or where ever your main is. If there are similar houses to yours in the area built around the same time, you might check with those owners to see if they have one and where it's located. That might give you an idea if you do have to dig into a wall.
Worst case, a plumber or the city could shut off the line to the house so that one could be added. I've also seen a valve replaced added without shutting it off at the street by freezing the line to plug the water flow. Dry ice and liquid nitrogen have been used. Probably not something you'll want to do without experiencing though as Bad Things™ can happen if you mess it up.