Pollution and Air Quality

The community of Falkland is located between Kamloops and Vernon, two cities among 10 from B.C.’s Southern Interior region that have the 10 worst air quality indexes in Canada thanks to wildfire smoke. (Brenda Giesbrecht photo)

Southern B.C. Interior cities have worst air quality in Canada

Ten cities from the Okanagan, Columbia and central Kootenays ranked one through 10

The community of Falkland is located between Kamloops and Vernon, two cities among 10 from B.C.’s Southern Interior region that have the 10 worst air quality indexes in Canada thanks to wildfire smoke. (Brenda Giesbrecht photo)
A helicopter with a water bucket flies past the Tremont Creek wildfire burning on the mountains above Ashcroft, B.C., on Friday, July 16, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Doctors, air pollution experts forecast worsening health effects of wildfire smoke

Advice for a five-day episode doesn’t work when you’re talking about an entire potential season

A helicopter with a water bucket flies past the Tremont Creek wildfire burning on the mountains above Ashcroft, B.C., on Friday, July 16, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Between 4,680 and 6,240 metric tonnes of face masks will pollute the world’s oceans this year, according to a new report from Oceans Asia. (Gary Stokes/OceansAsia)

1.56 billion face masks will pollute oceans this year, says Victoria researcher

Each mask takes up to 450 years to break down, according to the OceansAsia report

Between 4,680 and 6,240 metric tonnes of face masks will pollute the world’s oceans this year, according to a new report from Oceans Asia. (Gary Stokes/OceansAsia)
Styrofoam blocks and buoys washed up on the beach. (Ashley Tapp)

Heli-clean that North Vancouver Island beach

Volunteers got 17 cubic metres of ghost gear off a remote west coast beach last weekend

Styrofoam blocks and buoys washed up on the beach. (Ashley Tapp)
A video on the Breathe Clean Air Comox Valley website shows smoke trapped over the Valley. Image, screenshot

Breathing always hard for some Vancouver Island residents

Regulations on burning due to COVID-19 bring to light ongoing issue of smoke

A video on the Breathe Clean Air Comox Valley website shows smoke trapped over the Valley. Image, screenshot