Skip to content

Castlegar had worst air quality in Canada Thursday

Only a few places in the world with worse air quality on Thursday
25989531_web1_210805-CAN-air-quality-smike_1
Visibility in Castlegar is limited as smoke blankets the city. Photo: Betsy Kline

It’s probably not surprising to Castlegar residents whose eyes are watering and throats are burning — Castlegar has the worst air quality in Canada today. In fact, there are only one or two places in the whole world with worse air quality as of Thursday afternoon.

After a slight reprieve from dangerous air quality conditions early Wednesday, smoke moved back into the Castlegar area Wednesday night. Forecasts do not show things improving in the near future.

At 2 p.m., July 29, the PM2.5 reading in Castlegar reached 548, which is about 50 times above the WHO exposure recommendation.

By Canada’s scale, that puts Castlegar in the 10+ (very high risk) category.

At 2 p.m. on IQAir.com, Castlegar is listed at 503 (hazardous) on the US AQI scale, with Trail being the next worst city at 374.

Residents are advised to keep doors and windows closed and to avoid being outdoors as much as possible.

READ MORE: Drone interferes with firefighting at Arrow Lakes fires



betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter



Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
Read more