Environment Canada issues air quality warning for Nunavik
Wildfire smoke from Ontario and Manitoba expected to pass over the region Tuesday and Wednesday
The Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services says the risk of smoke spreading over Kuujjuaq is minimal as a wildfire burns 30 kilometres southeast of town. This photo shows the community last year, when Environment Canada issued an air quality warning due to smoke blowing from wildfires in Ontario and Manitoba. (Photo courtesy of KRG)
Environment Canada has issued an air quality warning for Nunavik on Tuesday as smoke from distant forest fires blows through the region.
Active fires in northeastern Ontario and eastern Manitoba are expected to send smoke across northern Quebec today and Wednesday, Environment Canada said in a special air quality statement posted for each of the region’s 14 communities.
“High levels of air pollution are possible due to smoke from ongoing forest fires,” Environment Canada said in the statement.
“By Thursday morning, air quality is likely to deteriorate locally if the smoke descends to ground level.”
The federal agency warned people to watch out for symptoms like coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath, adding that children, seniors, and people with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.
The heat is also on in parts of Nunavik this week.
The region’s southernmost community, Kuujjuaraapik, was listed as Environment Canada’s hot spot in Canada on Tuesday, with temperatures hovering just above 29 C.
The average high in that part of the region in July is 15 C.
A little further up the Hudson coast, the community of Ivujivik registered Tuesday’s coldest temperature for Quebec, with a local temperature of 3 C.
So that was it, brisk winds out of the S and W and the sun had an unusual color thru the cloud cover on Tuesday here in Tas.
If only environment Canada did the warnings each time the dump is set on fire. Can smell burnt plastic for days after a good old dump fire where the smoke enters town.
The guys , who work at the dump should check the weather forcast before the light a fire, for some reason , they allways light it , when its a easterly wind.
The kuujjuaq dump is not situated in a good place to begin with. There’s actually a drain off to the koksoak river from the dump. It should be moved far out and in somewhere, away from water ways. The road is actually part of the dump, as you have literally go through the dump to drive further out the road. You’re not driving beside the dump, you’re driving through it to get pass it. The road going further out , is actually on the dump with over filled garbage containers, right out in front, garbage all over the place. Driving through all the garbage and toxins of god knows what. When the wind blows and the dump is lit, it’s toxic to anywhere around with miles either way.