Wildfires updates: City cancels some outdoor recreational, cultural programming; MLB postpones games in New York, Philadelphia

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The latest news and updates in Toronto and Ontario over the worsening air quality conditions due to ongoing wildfire smoke from northeastern Ontario and Quebec.

7 p.m. Live horse races at Woodbine Mohawk Park are cancelled Thursday, in consideration of the “health and safety of the horses and racing participants,” Woodbine said in a statement. The Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event for 3-year-old filly trotters will also be postponed to next Tuesday.

The organization continues to monitor the weather and will update whether races can proceed Friday.

5 p.m. An eerie haze has draped over swaths of Ontario and Quebec as wildfires in the provinces continue to rage out of control. The smoke plumes have led to dramatic drops in air quality, which, according to Environment Canada, will likely persist through the weekend.

The agency warned that those with respiratory issues like asthma, people with heart disease, older folks, children, pregnant people and those working outside are at higher risk of experiencing health effects. However, as stated in the release, wildfire smoke can be harmful to the health of all individuals, even at low concentrations.

That applies to the health of our skin, too. As dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll of Toronto’s Compass Dermatology explains, “smoke has lots of harmful particles in it and chemicals that can irritate the skin.”

Because of this, some people, especially those with sensitive skin or skin allergies, might experience redness, itching or dryness. The particles in the air could also trigger existing conditions like eczema or rosacea. Furthermore, people prone to acne might notice breakout flare-ups as the pollutants can clog the pores and cause inflammation.

Those are the short-term effects, but over time, air pollution can also accelerate skin aging because of prolonged exposure to toxins and free radicals.

Read the full story: Poor air quality is bad for your skin, too. Here’s how to protect yourself

MLB, WNBA postpone games due to smoke from Canadian wildfires

4:44 p.m. Major League Baseball postponed games in New York and Philadelphia on Wednesday night because of poor air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.

A National Women’s Soccer League game in New Jersey and an indoor WNBA game set for Brooklyn were also called off Wednesday amid hazy conditions that have raised alarms from health authorities.

The New York Yankees’ game against the Chicago White Sox was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader starting at 4:05 p.m. on Thursday, and the Philadelphia Phillies’ game against the Detroit Tigers was reset for 6:05 p.m. on Thursday, originally an off day for both teams.

“These postponements were determined following conversations throughout the day with medical and weather experts and all of the impacted clubs regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in both cities,” MLB said in a statement.

4:26 p.m. The City of Toronto is cancelling some outdoor recreation and cultural programming Wednesday and Thursday due to the poor air quality in the city, it announced on its website. Other programs have been relocated indoors. Some other programming, including outdoor activities at City-run daycare operations, will be supspended. Check the City of Toronto website for additional details.

4:16 p.m. Intense Canadian wildfires are blanketing the northeastern U.S. in a smoky haze, turning the air a yellowish gray and prompting warnings for people to stay inside and keep windows closed.

The effects of hundreds of wildfires burning across Quebec all the way to western provinces could be felt on Wednesday as far as North Carolina to the south and Ohio to the west, blotting out skylines and irritating throats. Conditions were especially hazardous in parts of central New York, where the airborne soot was at hazardous levels.

U.S. authorities issued air quality alerts in multiple regions and poor conditions were expected to persist for days.

MLB will discuss postponing games in New York, Philadelphia due to wildfire smoke

3:55 p.m. Major League Baseball plans to discuss whether to postpone games in New York and Philadelphia on Wednesday night because of poor air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.

The New York Yankees are scheduled to host the Chicago White Sox, and the Philadelphia Phillies are slated to host Detroit.

MLB said it planned to speak with the teams involved at about 4 p.m.

Nova Scotia wildfire “being held”

3:36 p.m. The record-breaking wildfire in southwestern Nova Scotia that started 11 days ago near Barrington Lake is no longer moving, emergency officials said Wednesday.

The province issued a statement saying the fire, which grew to become the province’s largest on record, was “being held” and was not expected to move if the cool and wet conditions experienced since Friday persist.

“It has been a long haul for a lot of people,” Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton told an afternoon briefing. “Firefighting efforts are working with assistance from the weather.”

But Rushton stressed that the fire remains out of control, even though its progress has been stalled.

Ottawa looking at national disaster agency

(Updated) 3:27 p.m. The federal government is studying options for creating a new national disaster response agency as Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season in history.

A senior government source told The Canadian Press that discussions on a new approach are underway and include analyzing the merits of creating a Canadian version of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the United States.

A new Canadian disaster response agency or team would not just be for fires, but for all disasters, including flooding and major storms.

Canada’s disaster response plans currently involve different levels of government on a case-by-case basis.

The Canadian Armed Forces has repeatedly been called on to deploy soldiers and equipment to help. The military has warned, however, that its help in a disaster should be a last-ditch response after all other options are exhausted.

3:12 p.m. As forest-fire smoke from Northern Ontario and Quebec blows south and causes air quality problems, Premier Doug Ford is urging people to be careful with open flames — raising questions as to why a province-wide fire ban has not been declared.

“I’m asking every Ontarian, please do not light any campfires,” Ford said Wednesday as he faced questions in the legislature about his government’s commitment to fighting climate change and its impact on what has been an extraordinary fire season across Canada.

“The severity of forest fires increased because of the hot, dry weather we’re facing,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner.

With 50 active fires in Ontario and almost triple that number in Quebec, Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Graydon Smith said there are fire restrictions in most of eastern, central, northeast and northwest regions with municipalities able to impose them as warranted.

“It’s an enormous province with different conditions in some different areas … we’re taking action where we feel is appropriate.”

He said the government recognizes “climate change is real and happening.”

Read the full story from the Star’s Rob Ferguson: As wildfires worsen air quality, Doug Ford urges Ontarians to avoid campfires — but stops short of a fire ban

2:27 p.m. New York City now has the worst air quality in the world according to the the IQAir’s Air quality and pollution city ranking. The US Air Quality Index was said to be 342 or “hazardous,” the highest category possible.

The next highest on the list was Delhi, India who sat at a US AQI of 190.

Toronto, the highest Canadian city on the list, currently has the dubious honour of ranking fourth place as worst in the world as of 2:30 p.m., with a US AQI of 160 “unhealthy.” Toronto had earlier been placed at second with a US AQI of 175.

2:23 p.m. Quebec’s wildfire season is the worst on record, officials said Wednesday, as the number of evacuees was expected to rise to more than 15,000 by the end of the day.

About 11,400 people have already been forced from their homes because of persistent and unpredictable wildfires, Premier François Legault told reporters in Quebec City. The northern Cree town of Mistissini, located 550 kilometres north of Montreal, would likely be evacuated later on Wednesday, adding another 4,000 people to the evacuee list, the premier said.

The most troublesome areas, he said, were in northern Quebec and in the western Abitibi region, where significant rainfall wasn’t expected until Monday. Residents shouldn’t expect to be able to return home before the middle of next week, Legault said.

“I want us all to be realistic so that we don’t see things through rose-coloured glasses,” the premier said. “For the moment, we do not expect rain for the next few days.”

U.S. helps fight wildfires

2:20 p.m. The White House says it is in touch with the federal government in Ottawa over the ongoing wildfire emergency in Ontario and Quebec.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the U.S. has already provided Canada with more than 600 firefighters and support teams, as well as water bombers, to help fight the fires.

Officials in the U.S. capital issued a “code red” air quality alert earlier today as heavy smoke from the wildfires in Quebec and Ontario continues to drift south.

More than a dozen states in the northeastern U.S. were under similar alerts, with schools in New York City and Washington, D.C., cancelling outdoor activities.

D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment describes the air quality as “very unhealthy” and is urging people to remain indoors if possible.

Rogers Centre closes roof for Jays game

(Updated) 1:32 p.m. The Blue Jays say the roof will remain closed for tonight’s game.

“Should Environment Canada that air quality has vastly improved ahead of game-time, we will re-evaluate and update fans,” a statement from the team read.

Read the full story: Blue Jays to close Rogers Centre roof for Wednesday’s game due to wildfire smoke

New York air quality

1:28 p.m. (updated) New York is experiencing some of the worst air quality in the world as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket the city.

At the time of publication, New York was sitting at third place on the IQAir’s Air quality and pollution city ranking with a US Air Quality Index of 158, or “unhealthy” according to IQAir.

Toronto, the highest Canadian city on the list, currently has the dubious honour of ranking second place as worst in the world at the time of publication, with a US AQI of 175 or “unhealthy.”

Weather conditions have caused LGA Airport flight disruptions, the airport tweeted. “Check with your airline to determine the status of your flight.”

Read the full story from the Star’s Thea Gribilas

12:45 p.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is updating the wildfires situation.

Ford urges Ontarians not to light campfires

12:15 p.m. Premier Doug Ford is urging everyone in the province to refrain from lighting campfires, as 52 wildfires burn across the province and smoke from fires in Quebec degrades air quality.

Ford says that half of the fires are started by lightning strikes and the other half are caused by human activity such as not properly extinguishing campfires.

Much of the province is under a fire ban, but Ford says he is urging people across the province not to light any campfires.

Read the full story

11:38 a.m. A thick blanket of acrid smoke has descended on Toronto and much of southern Ontario, the product of raging forest fires in northeastern Ontario and Quebec.

Air quality in the region has plummeted and by Tuesday evening, Toronto’s air quality ranked among the worst in the world.

There’s little relief on the horizon for the millions of residents living in the affected areas, as Environment Canada and the Province of Ontario forecast Wednesday that poor air quality will persist into the weekend.

Read the full story from the Star’s Joshua Chong

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holding press conference

11:35 a.m. The federal government is studying options for creating a new national disaster response agency.

The discussions come as Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season in history and several major cities are again blanketed in thick layers of smoke.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to update Canadians on the fire situation later today.

What’s happening in Quebec today

10:22 a.m. Residents of two northern Quebec communities are the latest to be hastily evacuated as a result of the province’s wildfires.

Officials in Chibougamau and the nearby Cree community of Oujé-Bougoumou ordered the evacuations Tuesday night due to approaching forest fires and shifting winds in the north.

Chibougamau Mayor Manon Cyr announced the evacuation order for the town’s roughly 7,500 residents, asking those without family nearby to gather in Roberval, about 250 kilometres away.

Read the full story

What happened in Ottawa

9:30 a.m. Ottawa residents awoke Tuesday morning to hazy skies and a thick blanket of smog caused by forest fires raging across Quebec.

Photos and videos pouring out of the nation’s capital show the city shrouded with wildfire smoke, reducing visibility and almost entirely obscuring the sun.

The air quality index reading for downtown Ottawa was above a level 10 on Tuesday morning, indicating a “very high risk” to health.

Read the full story from the Star’s Joshua Chong

Why is Toronto so smoky?

9:12 a.m. A haze slowly settled over Ottawa and Toronto as smoke from the Quebec wildfires drifted southward, and Environment Canada is warning people that they could feel its impact over the next few days.

Northerly winds are pushing smoke plumes from Quebec’s wildfires southward, causing poor air quality, the Star’s Marissa Birnie reported.

The moon’s reddish colour is also related to the wildfire smoke, which can also affect the colour of the sun.

8:45 a.m. New York City is asking people to limit outdoor activity, especially vulnerable populations, including those with respiratory or heart problems, older adults, and children. DC is reporting “very poor” air quality with reduced visibility expected between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. “Wearing a mask may limit exposure for those with respiratory illnesses,” they tweeted.

8:30 a.m. “Forest fires in northeastern Ontario and Quebec continue to deteriorate the air quality. Special Air Quality Statements are in effect and have been expanded to Windsor and Attawapiskat for today,” Environment Canada tweeted.

8:20 a.m. Wildfires are wreaking havoc in Canada right now. Among those affected are not only communities situated close to forest fires, but even towns and cities located hundreds of miles away.

As smoke from blazes in Quebec and northern Ontario spread, the air quality has gotten worse, along with smoky haze descending upon many communities, including in the Ottawa and Toronto areas.

What is causing wildfires to be especially deadly this year? And why is the sky shrouded in a sickly yellow haze?

Here is the Star’s coverage of this year’s wildfire season so far, with stories and explainers helping answer readers’ questions.

Forest fires rage in Quebec and northeastern Ontario

8 a.m. As forest fires raged in Quebec and northeastern Ontario, a yellow-tinted smoke settled upon Toronto. By evening, the city’s air quality ranked among the world’s worst, at times ahead of even Lahore, Pakistan, which was labelled the planet’s most polluted city in 2022, according to IQ Air, a global air quality tracker.

Across the GTA, the haze resulted in cancelled recreational sports, postponed school field trips and notices sent to parents that schoolchildren would begin spending recess indoors on Wednesday, including across the York Region District School Board. The Toronto District School Board advised parents late Tuesday that “all strenuous outdoor activities, including athletic events” on Wednesday and Thursday would be rescheduled or moved indoors.

Read the full story from the Star’s Ben Mussett

7:45 a.m. A blanket of smoke has impacted air quality in eastern Ontario – a region now experiencing the worst air pollution in North America as of Tuesday, June 6, data from the World Air Quality Index shows.

As forest fires continue to burn in Ontario and Quebec officials have issued warnings about the dangers wildfire smoke pose to human health.

Petawawa, Kingston and Cornwall all have “very unhealthy” air quality readings, according to the World Air Quality Index. Ottawa is classified as “unhealthy.” There were no more specific data points to get more localized information for municipalities in the Ottawa Valley on the publicly available data.

Read the full story

7:35 a.m. “After reviewing the Air Quality Health Index and guidance from Environment Canada and Toronto Public Health, all TDSB TDESAA and TDSSAA scheduled events for Wednesday and Thursday have been postponed,” the TDSB says.

Should you wear at N95 mask?

7:30 a.m. Smoke from wildfires raging in Quebec is expected to blanket Toronto for much of the week, prompting a special air quality statement for the city and warnings of possible “high levels” of pollution.

With some Toronto residents already reporting the smell of smoke and conditions expected to worsen, experts say those in affected areas should consider wearing a mask and taking other precautions to reduce exposure.

“Every reduction in breathing this stuff provides a benefit to your health,” said Jeff Brook, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry.

Read the full story from the Star’s Joshua Chong

What’s the situation in New York?

7:10 a.m. (updated) Officials in the U.S. capital have issued a “code red” air quality alert as smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Ontario continues to drift south.

More than a dozen states in the northeastern U.S. were under similar alerts, with schools in New York City and Washington, D.C., cancelling outdoor activities.

D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment describes the air quality as “very unhealthy” and is urging people to remain indoors if possible.

7:05 a.m. As the skies fill with haze and wildfire smoke turns the moon red, prompting poor air quality warnings over large chunks of Ontario and Quebec, experts are warning that, barring any major climate-change mitigating factors, we may have to get used to this.

And that means getting used to the increased risk of lung disease, heart disease, cancer and the resultant strain on already taxed health-care resources that comes along with it.

As of Tuesday, most of southern and eastern Ontario and a large swath of Quebec were under Special Air Quality Statements largely thanks to Quebec wildfires burning out of control.

Read the full story from the Star’s Steve McKinley

Environment Canada forecasting ‘high risk’ air quality index

6:15 a.m. Environment Canada is forecasting an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) of “High Risk” for Wednesday. As of 6:15 a.m. Wednesday the AQHI level was at 3 out of 10, meaning low risk.

The weather agency is forecasting moderate risk of 6 Wednesday evening, but conditions are expected to worsen by Thursday, with the agency expecting a high risk AQHI of 9.

You can view the risk levels for Toronto and many other cities in the province here.

Some GTA schools limit outdoor activities due to poor air quality

6 a.m. The Toronto District School Board announced late Tuesday night that “outdoor activities and athletic events planned for tomorrow and Thursday” would be rescheduled or moved indoors where possible after reviewing the Air Quality Health Index and guidance from Environment Canada and Toronto Public Health.

The full list of events can be found here.