Wildfires in the Prairies trigger another day of poor air quality in Montreal

MONTREAL — Poor air quality fuelled by wildfires burning across the Prairies left a large swath of the country enveloped in a haze for another day.

Parts of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador were experiencing poor air quality and reduced visibility due to the wildfires, a situation expected to continue through Sunday.

In Montreal, air quality remains poor for a second day in a row. Public health officials were advising residents to keep windows closed, reduce outdoor activities and limit non-essential travel.

Air is considered poor when there are at least 35 micrograms of fine particles in each cubic meter of air (35 µg/m³). Currently, levels range between 35 and 60 µg/m³ in the Montreal area.

A gradual improvement is expected over the course of tomorrow in Montreal, thanks to northeast winds that are expected to pick up, bringing in cleaner air that will mix with the existing air.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jean-Philippe Bégin says there’s some good news — a low pressure system passing through the Prairies, currently in northern Saskatchewan and expected to move into Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario by Monday, is expected to bring precipitation for areas hit by out-of-control forest fires.

That system is not expected to bring much relief in northern Alberta, however, where there is little rain in the forecast.

While the entire population is affected by air quality, the most vulnerable include children under the age of 5, pregnant women, the elderly and anyone suffering from heart or respiratory issues.