Smoke from wildfires in Northern Ontario raised Kingston’s Air Quality Health Index above 10 on July 16, leading to health warnings and many outdoor events being canceled.
In light of this, Southeast Public Health recommended that residents throughout eastern Ontario, including Kingston, limit vigorous outdoor activities and be alert for symptoms such as coughing, throat irritation, and shortness of breath. Environment Canada continued to issue special air quality alerts as smoke from ongoing wildfires drifted across the province.
In a joint press release, Ted Hsu, MPP for Kingston and the Islands, provided an update on the wildfires affecting Ontario.
“As of July 15, there are 185 active wildland fires across Northern Ontario, with 74 not under control and 36 new fires reported in the past day,” said Hsu in the joint statement.
Hsu urged residents to take the threat of wildfire smoke seriously.
“Wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs and worsen asthma, heart conditions and other breathing issues, particularly for those at risk. So please check in on your neighbours, friends and family,” said Hsu.
The poor air quality in Kingston impacted numerous outdoor activities between July 15 and 16.
As public health officials issued warnings, both the City of Kingston and the Kingston Police advised against outdoor recreation. Consequently, local youth sports organizations ended up canceling games and practices.
Christian Hoefler, Technical Director of Athletico Kingston, shared during an interview with YGK News how they were addressing the poor air quality situation.
“It’s a little bit tricky to maneuver, but the majority of our groups have been cancelled,” said Hoefler. “We follow what the government issues, and it looks like their forecast is dropping to low risk by this evening,” he continued.
Hoefler remained optimistic that air quality would improve by the evening of July 16 but stressed that children’s safety is a priority; they will keep monitoring public health updates.
“The health and safety of our participants is always at the forefront,” said Hoefler.
During July 15 and 16, several other sports organizations in Kingston-including soccer, baseball and volleyball-canceled their scheduled games due to poor air quality conditions.
As of Thursday evening, air quality risk levels in Kingston improved from high risk to low; however, wildfires continue to be active in Northern Ontario.
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