Smoke from Manitoba wildfires drifts north to Nunavut

A hazy view over Wolf Esker, near Arviat, Aug. 31, as smoke from Manitoba forest fires drifts northward over Nunavut’s Hudson Bay coast. (PHOTO BY GORDY KIDLAPIK)

Environment Canada has issued an air quality warning to communities along Nunavut’s Hudson coast, where smoke from forest fires in Manitoba has drifted in recent days.

Residents reported hazy, smoky views from Arviat, the Kivalliq’s southernmost community, which sits about 150 kilometres north of the Manitoba border.

Forest fires have been burning throughout northern Manitoba all week forcing more than 3,500 residents to evacuate their homes and communities.

But only over the past 24 hours has smoke drifted north of the province.

“Visibilities have been reduced in smoke to most Hudson Bay coastal communities this morning (Sept. 1),” said a Sept. 1 special air quality statement issued by Environment Canada and the Government of Nunavut.

The smoke could cause throat irritations and headaches, Environment Canada said, warning children or elders with cardiovascular or respiratory problems to stay indoors.

But Environment Canada said the smoke should dissipate by evening as winds shift to the west behind a cold front that is expected to sweep across the Kivalliq later, on Sept. 1.