Environment Canada ends special air quality statement for Hamilton

UPDATE: Environment Canada on Friday ended its special air quality statement for Hamilton.

People living in Hamilton and area are in for another 24 hours of poor air quality as smoke from wildfires in Quebec continues to blanket parts of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Trudy Kidd, warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, said the air quality health index (AQHI) rating for Hamilton was observed Thursday afternoon at a level four, which is the moderate risk category. By late afternoon, it hit level five. 

Kidd said the forecast is high risk for Thursday night, Friday and Friday night. 

"So while we're enjoying slightly cleaner air, it's possible that another smoke plume could come in from those forest fires and affect the air quality for the population," Kidd told CBC Hamilton.

The AQHI has a scale from zero to 10+. Low risk is one to three, moderate risk is four to six, high risk is seven to 10. There is also a very high risk category of 10+.

Kidd said a high pressure system centred over Lake Superior is causing winds from a northerly or northeasterly direction in southern Ontario.

"That wind is bringing in the smoke from those forest fires and what we need is either for those first fires to be extinguished or for a change in wind direction to a source that is far cleaner," Kidd said. 

"So, this weekend it looks like we're gonna get a low pressure system coming through southern Ontario, and with that it'll bring southern winds. And fortunately there aren't any forest fires to the south of us, so that'll be the breath of fresh air that we need."

The improved conditions are expected to start this weekend.

"I think the weekend is when we'll start to see things improve. So, unfortunately [Friday] there's a chance that the air quality could deteriorate quite a bit," Kidd said.

"We're fortunate right now we've got some cloud cover which tends to help with the smoke."

Niagara Falls fireworks cancelled, among other programs

Meanwhile, the smoke blanketing the area continues to have an impact on some events in the Hamilton area. Outdoor sports and other programs were cancelled Wednesday, along with the Hamilton Public Library Bookmobile. 

The Hamilton Fire Department issued a ban Wednesday on all open air burning in the City of Hamilton. 

On Thursday, Niagara Falls Tourism paused its fireworks program for a second consecutive night.

"Due to the impact of the wildfires burning across the country, and the associated air quality advisories in many areas of Canada, including in Niagara, this evening's Niagara Falls Fireworks program is being paused again this evening, Thursday, June 8," said a news release from president and CEO Janice Thomson.