A weekend of poor air quality resulting from wildfire smoke continued across Alberta on Labour Day, with virtually the entire province being advised to exercise caution amid the smoky conditions.
As of Monday morning, special air quality statements had been issued all over the province by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
“Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations,” the weather agency said on its website. “Continue to take actions to protect your health and reduce exposure to smoke.”
ECCC warned “smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility” and noted the concentration of smoke can “fluctuate over short distances and vary considerably from hour to hour.”
As of 6 a.m. on Monday, Calgary had experienced 476 “smoky hours” in 2023, according to an employee at the weather agency, which added that this year has been the smokiest one on record for that city. The previous record for smoky hours in Calgary was 450, recorded in 2018.
As of 8 a.m. on Monday, the Air Quality Health Index for Calgary was rated at 10+, or “very high risk.” At the same time of day, the air quality rating in Edmonton was at a 9, or “high risk.”
By noon, the AQHI had dropped to a 9 in Calgary and to a 7 in Edmonton.
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Tiffany Lizée, chief meteorologist at Global Calgary, said “it’s really dense smoke that’s moving in from northern B.C.
“It’s being pulled in from a surface high-pressure system that’s over our province,” she added. “And it’s going to sit there, not only throughout today, but likely throughout Tuesday as well. We are hoping to see some improvement once we make our way into Wednesday and we have some stronger southwesterly flow.
“Wednesday will look much better. But for the next couple of days, this is what we should expect.”
At 10:15 a.m., the Calgary Stampeders tweeted about the air quality, noting the football club was “actively monitoring air quality conditions in the area” ahead of the team’s football game against the Edmonton Elks at McMahon Stadium.
“Kickoff of the Labour Day Classic remains set for 5 p.m.,” the club tweeted. “Further updates will be provided through our social media channels if required.”
Thick smoke has been reported in various parts of Alberta throughout the weekend.
In a video posted to social media on Saturday, Energy Minister Brian Jean said he has “never seen the smoke like this.”
Jean’s video appeared to show him standing next to a highway, 204 kilometres away from Fort McMurray.
“I’ve been travelling these roads for a long time and I have never seen smoke like this,” he says in the video. “Please, if you’ve got health problems (or) if you’ve got lung issues, if you have parents or older folks with you, please just be really careful.”
On its website, ECCC advised people in affected areas to “stop outdoor activities” and to call a health-care professional if experiencing shortness of breat, wheezing, a severe cough, dizziness or chest pain.
“Keep your indoor air clean,” the weather agency said. “Keep your doors and windows closed if the temperature in your home is comfortable. Use an air purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter in a room where you spend a lot of time. Avoid air purifiers that produce ozone. Check the filter and change it if required.
“If you must spend time outdoors, a well-fitted respirator type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) that does not allow air to pass through small openings between the mask and face, can help reduce your exposure to the fine particles in smoke.”
Click here for information on air quality in Alberta.
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