Health risks linger as smoky skies and poor air quality persist

The special air quality statement has been lifted in Waterloo Region, but we’re not in the clear yet. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk explains.

Smoky skies from western wildfires continue to pose health risks even as the air quality improves.

On Tuesday, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) lifted the special air quality statement for most of southern Ontario and eastern parts of the country. It was in place over the long weekend as the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reached an 8, which is considered ‘high risk.’

“The situation with the air quality has improved, which is why we don’t have the special air quality statement in effect,” said ECCC weather spokesperson Alexandra Cournoyer. “However, we still have some level of fine particles in the air.”

The fine particles are known as PM 2.5 and are made of various pollutants, including soot, smoke, dust, and other elements found in burning wildfires. They are invisible to the naked eye and can cause serious health risks if breathed in.

“They can enter our bloodstream and put some stress on our heart and lungs and other organs of the body,” said Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum, the associate medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

“How bad those are depends on how much smoke is in the air, as well as how long you’re exposed,” he added.

Tenenbaum said while everyone is at risk, some may feel it more than others.

“If you have asthma, if you have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or existing lung disease, that can make it that much harder for you,” he said.

The smoke can also be tough on those with seasonal allergies, who may notice an increase in nose, throat and eye irritation.

As for how to avoid breathing in the smoke, health officials recommend using high quality respirators or masks.

“Staying indoors is the key thing to protect yourself,” said Tenenbaum.

2025 wildfire season on track to be second-largest

Summer 2025 is shaping up to be the second-largest wildfire season on modern record, said Ze’ev Gedalof, an associate professor in geography at the University of Guelph.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, as of Tuesday afternoon, there were 746 active wildfires burning across the country, causing smoke that has billowed through Canada over the last few months.

“This really is the new normal,” Gedalof said.

Cournoyer said ECCC has issued more special air quality statements this year compared to 2024.

“It’s not going to stop burning,” Gedalof said.

“The smoke is going to keep blowing downwind from the boreal forest in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and even into B.C.,” he added.

Gedalof said it’s because the forest is out of equilibrium with the climate that’s driving it.

“When it experiences these long, hot, dry summers, plus any sort of ignition – whether it’s a cigarette butt or an unattended campfire or a lightning strike – when it does ignite, it’s going to burn.”

However, he said there are ways to reduce risks.

“Most ignitions are human caused,” Gedalof noted. “So the fewer fires we start, the less smoke we have to breathe.”