Banff, Jasper and other western regions of Alberta under air quality statement
Wildfires in B.C. continue to impact conditions in Alberta, as Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for Banff and Jasper National Parks as well as several other areas.
The agency issued the bulletin Saturday morning, stating that wildfire smoke is leading to poor air quality and reduced visibility at times throughout the affected regions.
"The poor air quality is the result of elevated values of fine particulate matter," it said in the online advisory. "Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour."
Environment Canada also said the conditions can have an impact on the health of residents and visitors.
"Individuals may experience symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.
"People with lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, can be particularly sensitive to air pollution. They will generally experience more serious health effects at lower levels. Pollution can aggravate their diseases, leading to increased medication use, doctor and emergency room visits, and hospital visits."
The agency says anyone at risk or in the care of anyone at risk should consider limiting their exposure to the smoky conditions.
Further information about the dangers of wildfire smoke and measures to protect yourself and your family can be found online.
So far, Calgary's air quality has not been significantly impacted by the smoky conditions. On it's website, Environment Canada rates the current conditions at 3, which is low risk, but they are expected to increase to 5, or moderate risk, throughout the day.
However, the city and many other regions of Alberta remain under a heat warning, which was issued Friday night.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.