Poor air quality in Montreal from Quebec wildfires forces event cancellations
Laval transit offering $1 fares in effort to reduce pollution from vehicles
The haze of smog enveloping Montreal has forced several sports organizations to cancel their events in the city Sunday.
Environment Canada reported that the air quality health index (AQHI) for Montreal is 10+, which corresponds to a "very high risk" level. It's expected to go down to five on Monday, which corresponds to a "moderate risk" level.
According to IQAir — a Swiss technology company that monitors air quality — Montreal had the most polluted air among dozens of major cities included in its rankings as of 4 p.m. Sunday.
The city of Montreal said in a tweet Sunday afternoon that outdoor sport facilities, including pools and wading pools, will be closed until noon Monday. Outdoor cultural activities will also be cancelled. It says municipal day camps will remain open but will prioritize indoor activities.
Poor air quality has lead the Société de transport de Laval (STL) to offer discounted fares in an effort to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and limit the impact of traffic on air pollution.
For Sunday and Monday, transit goers can ride the bus and taxibus for $1, paid by cash, credit or debit. The initiative is part of the STL's Smog Alert program launched in 2008.
Several events cancelled
Organizers of Piknic Électronik Montreal said in a Facebook post that they will be postponing the Fête nationale event scheduled for 4 p.m. at Parc Jean-Drapeau to June 30 since the air quality today is "not up to par."
A handful of rugby competitions that were set to take place Sunday in Beaconsfield, Laval and Quebec City as well as an Ironman triathlon in Mont-Tremblant were cancelled Sunday morning.
World Triathlon initially tweeted that the mixed relay race in Montreal would be delayed, but organizers cancelled the event by 10:15 a.m.
Elite triathlete Emy Legault, who would have competed in the race, said it was in the "athletes' best interest" to wait until next year.
"The priority is always athletes' health, and I'm proud that we can stop the event when necessary so that athletes don't have health problems in the weeks and months to come," she said.
Lakeshore Soccer Club, in Kirkland, has also cancelled its activities for the day.
The city of Côte Saint-Luc has closed all outdoor installations, including pools, tennis courts and pedal boats.
All Fête nationale festivities scheduled to take place at Alexandre-Bourgeau Park in Pointe-Claire have also been cancelled.
Quebec's public health director Dr. Luc Boileau was not available for an interview Sunday when asked by Radio-Canada.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry said people should stay indoors with their windows closed to minimize exposure to air pollution. They say residents can call Info Santé 811 for more information.
Corrections
- This story has been updated to reflect the fact that not every city in the world is included in the rankings of the air quality monitoring website, IQAir.Jun 26, 2023 12:50 PM ET
With files from Radio-Canada's Sébastien Boucher