Closures, cancellations and other impacts continue from high-risk air quality

Some events, services, and programs in Waterloo Region were once again impacted as drifting wildfire smoke decimates local air quality for a second day.

The smoke from the devastating fires in northwestern Ontario first arrived Wednesday and prompted Environment Canada to issue an orange warning for air quality.

As of Thursday afternoon, Waterloo Region continued to sit at 10+ on the Air Quality Health Index, which is the highest possible level and considered very high risk.

Wednesday saw a number of closures, cancellations, and other impacts, such as open burn bans due to health concerns.

Municipalities continued to pivot on Thursday with outdoor pools staying shuttered and outdoor events either cancelled or moved indoors.

Among those affected was the Uptown Waterloo Night Market, which was shifted to the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

In Kitchener, city-run day camp programming was moved indoors while off-site trips were cancelled.

The City of Cambridge also paused non-essential outdoor work and made other temporary service adjustments.

Expert explains health risks from poor air quality

An air quality expert with the University of Waterloo (UW) is shining a light on the health risks from wildfire smoke with hopes of generating awareness.

Dr. Rebecca Saari, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Global Change, Atmosphere and Health, said people who are exposed to wildfire smoke may experience various symptoms like nose and throat irritation, coughing and headaches.

“Numerous studies have shown specific links between smoke from wildfires and respiratory symptoms,” Dr. Saari said in a release. “People with underlying health issues, especially respiratory and cardiovascular illness, are at higher risk for more serious outcomes, like asthma attacks that may require hospitalization, as are children and older adults.”

Dr. Saari said there’s also evidence that prolonged or repeated exposure to poor air quality from wildfires can lead to long-term risks, noting that Health Canada estimates 17,000 Canadians die prematurely annually because of air pollution.

It isn’t just human health that’s impacted; as Dr. Saari said, there’s a financial toll, with air pollution estimated to cause a $140 billion burden in Canada each year.