Again, wildfire smoke prompts air quality alert for Calgary

Wildfire smoke is again blocking out the sky over Calgary, prompting an air quality alert amid the final days of the Calgary Stampede. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a special air quality statement Thursday morning for the city and much of the surrounding area. 

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) fluctuated throughout the day, and by late afternoon on Thursday it was at six. 

Samantha Mauti, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the general threshold for an air quality alert is an AQHI of 7 for at least two hours.

"That's exactly where Calgary was sitting at," she said.

The toxic wildfire smoke can affect those with sensitive lungs or people who work or exercise outside. Otherwise healthy people can also develop symptoms over prolonged exposure. 

Smoke at the Stampede

For those planning a day at the Calgary Stampede, Mauti advised midway-goers to be aware of what they're feeling. 

"If you're experiencing coughs, shortness of breath, chest pains or dizziness, just try to get inside into some cleaner air," she said. "Just keep track of your symptoms and take breaks from the smoke any time you need to." 

Kerrie Blizard, the Stampede's director of public safety, said at an afternoon news conference that officials are monitoring the situation.

"The current conditions are certainly less than ideal for us, but there's no imminent plan to modify or cancel any scheduled programs," she said. 

Kristina Barnes, the Stampede's manager of agriculture and western events, said there is no absolute threshold to cancel any event, explaining a decision would be made in consultation with athletes, animal owners, veterinarians and doctors. 

"When it's smoky like this, we're bringing in experts from different areas," she said. "It's engaging all of those different partners, assessing those conditions and determining whether they may change in the next little while." 

Michelle Hannay, a Stampede volunteer scheduled for a five-hour shift on Thursday afternoon, said she hadn't heard any direction from officials in regard to the smoke. 

While she had planned to stay on the Stampede grounds for the evening, the smoky air was causing her to reconsider. 

"It's definitely on the back of my mind that it's a health implication to be out in the smoke for a long stretch of time," she said. 

"It's a drag, it's really unfortunate."

Smoky conditions expected to linger 

Forecasters expect the AQHI to remain at or around "high risk" in Calgary until at least late Friday. However, meteorologists note that air quality conditions can fluctuate considerably hour-to-hour and differ over relatively short distances. 

Mauti said that Environment Canada's models indicate the smoke over Calgary is blowing in from the northwest, billowing from wildfires burning in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. 

"It looks like we're going to be in that same circulation for the next couple of days," she said. 

Air quality alerts are in effect across most of Alberta. The only areas not under an alert are communities in the southernmost part of the province.

Since spring, Calgary has been under several air quality alerts amid this year's exceptional wildfire season. At one point in May, Calgary had some of the worst air quality on the planet.

Sheri Kristjanson brought her son to the Stampede grounds Thursday morning. She said the smoke gave her a moment of pause. 

"I thought about reconsidering and coming another day, but we're running out of days," she said. 

"I feel once you get down here, you kinda forget about [the smoke]. You get lost in the atmosphere, the crowds."