Kingston Left with Worst Air Quality in Ontario from Quebec Wildfire Smoke

Kingstonians woke up Tuesday, June 6 to find the city shrouded in a blanket of smoke as a result of the wildfires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario. As wind carries the smoke east, smoke plumes from the forest fires have resulted in deteriorated air quality across Ontario. 

Environment Canada reported on June 6 that Kingston had the worst air quality in Ontario at a level 10, the highest on the scale. These conditions have continued into Wednesday morning, with the air quality still sitting at level 10. These conditions are expected to continue for at least the next few days, with air quality projected to improve slightly on Thursday before deteriorating again on Friday. 

Many Kingston locals have been sharing images of smoke obscuring the city and their experiences over the past few days, reporting sore throats, irritated eyes, and other unpleasant impacts of the air quality: 

I am in Kingston, and I can see the impacts of the fires in Quebec and Northern ON. The sky is clouded by smoke, the air smells like a bonfire and my throat kills me when I got out.

This is all the result of climate change.

— Shelby (@Lefty_Mind) June 6, 2023

Love waking up to the smell of campfire and smoke in the air. That’s a totally normal thing in Kingston…right? Nothing to be worried about. #ygk #ONfire #forrestfires #ONwx #QCfire

— Allan Etmanski (@allanetmanski) June 6, 2023

As the sun gets higher in the sky it is finally visible thru the smoke, I honestly don't think I can personally recall a time when the air/sky over #ygk was this bad.#Kingston #Frontenac #Wildfire #Ontario #QuebecWildfires #news #photography #sunrise pic.twitter.com/FcOhW5gM1Z

— Dominic Christian Owens (@DomChrisOwens) June 7, 2023

Environment Canada recommends that folks reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation. In a statement issued by KFL&A Public Health, they recommended an N95 mask as an effective way to filter out smoke if you have to be outdoors. For more information about air quality and recommendations to protect your health, you can visit The Government of Canada website. 

Story by Christena Lawrie, CFRC News, for the Local Journalism Initiative