Kingston atop scale for poor air quality due to Quebec wildfires
Global News
Smoke from the Quebec wildfires has descended on the Kingston region, topping the chart on the air quality index. It is expected to stick around for at least the next couple days.
Tuesday was forecast to be a sunny day in Kingston, Ont., but instead, the city was shrouded in smoke.
The forest fires in Quebec have created a haze across Ontario, and the Limestone City is getting the worst of it.
Environment Canada said June 6 that Kingston has the worst air quality in the province, sitting at level 10 – the highest level on the air quality scale.
“Everything was orange. It was very surreal,” said Kingston resident Dylan Van Dusen.
A brown-yellow haze thick enough to block out the sun has plagued the region for two days, making many people think twice about venturing outside.
“It’s kind of hard to stay inside today because of school and work and stuff like that, but if I had a choice I’d stay inside. It’s harder to breathe and a hotter climate,” said Van Dusen.
“I woke up this morning and saw how bad the weather was. I thought for my own health’s sake, I’ll put on a mask,” said Kingston resident Claire Lee.
However, a regular surgical mask like the kind we were ordered to wear during the covid lockdowns won’t do the trick.