Forwarded from Councillor Theresa Kavanagh:
Good afternoon,
A Special Air Quality Statement has been issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) because high levels of air pollution are expected or occurring. High levels of air pollution are possible throughout the day today, due to wildfire smoke migrating into the City of Ottawa. As a result, the City of Ottawa is advising of outdoor recreation impacts on Tuesday, June 6 until further notice.
- All recreational outdoor programs and leagues directly operated by the City of Ottawa will be cancelled for the remainder of today, Tuesday, June 6. Registrants will be contacted directly with either a refund, credit or rescheduling of their program.
- Sport fields, ball diamonds and city parks will remain open. Cancellation requests should be emailed to sports@ottawa.ca. Following the inclement weather process, credits on account will be provided.
- All splash pads will remain open.
- All drop-in programs that operate outdoors will move indoors, where possible. Please check the drop-in schedules at your local facility for up-to-date information.
It is anticipated that the air quality for tomorrow, Wednesday, June 7, will continue to impact these services. Please continue to monitor ottawa.ca/recreation for up-to-date information on outdoor recreation service impacts.
All City facilities will remain open and there are no impacts to indoor programming. City-wide impacts and updates related to the ongoing air quality issues can be found on ottawa.ca. For more information about outdoor air pollution and the current status of Ottawa’s air quality, visit the Ottawa Public Health website.
Please note that small children, pregnant woman, older adults, people with lung or heart conditions, and people involved in strenuous outdoor work or sports are at greatest risk from poor air quality and should monitor their symptoms and take precautions if warranted until the air quality improves.
Air pollutants including smoke from wildfires can irritate the lungs, eyes, nose, and throat and can cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. People with heart or lung conditions may be more sensitive to the effects of smoke and should monitor their symptoms and take steps to reduce their exposure to smoke and, if necessary, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.
When wildfire smoke is affecting our air quality, residents and visitors should:
- Make a plan to avoid breathing in smoke. depending on your risk factors, and what resources you have available to you. Consider postponing outdoor exercise until the air quality has improved. If your breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable, stop the activity and go indoors.
- Consider staying indoors, shutting windows, and putting your HVAC system on recirculate.
- Be aware of your symptoms. Call 8-1-1 Health Connect Ontario for non-emergency medical advice and seek medical attention if needed.
- Follow your asthma or personal care plan if you have asthma or other chronic illnesses.
- If needed, consider visiting a location like a shopping mall with filtered air.
- Keep your vehicle windows closed and set the ventilation system to recirculate.
- Check on neighbours, friends, and family and share this information.
- Pay attention to local air quality reports since air quality may be poor even though you may not be able to see smoke. Information is available at www.airhealth.ca and www.airqualityontario.com and on our Ottawa Public Health website.
Take care everyone.
Theresa Kavanagh
Bay Ward Councillor | Conseillère quartier Baie
City of Ottawa | Ville d’Ottawa
613-580-2477
BayWardBulletin.ca