The hundreds of wildfires burning in the Northwest Territories are lowering air quality for communities across Canada.
More than 200 fires are actively burning across the territory, prompting evacuations in some communities including Yellowknife where 20,000 people live.
To date, land four times the size of P.E.I. has burned in N.W.T. with smoke creating hazy and blackened skies in many communities.
Environment Canada issued special air quality statements for those provinces and for northwestern Ontario.
“Air quality due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” the statement from Environment Canada reads.
Later Thursday afternoon the smoke is expected to lessen in Saskatchewan and begin heavily polluting Manitoba, the map shows.
Communities around the southern portion of Lake Winnipeg could have the worst air quality by mid-afternoon. The surrounding areas can expect an air quality rating of about seven later today, according to Environment Canada’s forecast.
By late Thursday the smoke will have blanketed most of northern Ontario and continue to move eastward, the map shows.
Map from BlueSky Canada and firesmoke.ca shows smoke blanketing Canada. (Jesse Tahirali / CTVNews.ca)
Overnight some smoke will be concentrated around the Greater Toronto Area and be heaviest at dawn. Predictions from Environment Canada show the health risk to be low Friday for Toronto — which could change.
The smoke is set to stretch south towards New York City and eastward covering Canada’s capital by noon on Friday.
By Friday evening Ontario is expected to be covered by smoke from the Yellowknife fires. Most of Quebec, excluding the Montreal area, is likely to avoid the pollution.
Some smoke could seep into New Brunswick by early Saturday morning, however.
FIRES BURNING OUT WEST
Fires burning in the British Columbia interior and southern Alberta are also expected to pollute neighbouring provinces.
By late Thursday smoke will move into southern Saskatchewan again and continue towards southern Manitoba.
The air quality will be poor for Regina Friday evening as plumes dissipate into Saturday.
Smoke is likely to concentrate for the communities of Penticton, Vernon, Castlegar and Cranbrook, B.C. early Saturday raising levels above 10 on the air quality index.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
HALIFAX – The federal Fisheries Department says an endangered North Atlantic right whale has become entangled in gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The department says the whale was sighted Wednesday by a Transport Canada aerial surveillance team northeast of the Gaspé Peninsula, off Anticosti Island.
Officials say it’s not known what type of gear has entangled the whale or where the gear came from.
Based on observation, experts at the New England Aquarium have confirmed the whale is a female known as Chiminea.
The department says it is continuing to monitor the area and if the whale is located and conditions allow, efforts will be made to disentangle the animal.
Last October, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated there were 356 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Canadian pop icon Nelly Furtado has been named one of three headliners for the opening ceremony of the upcoming Invictus Games.
Furtado, from Victoria, will share the stage with alt-pop star Roxane Bruneau of Delson, Que., and American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan.
They’ll be part of the show that opens the multi-sport event in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., in February.
The Invictus Games sees wounded, injured, and sick military service members and Veterans compete in 11 disciplines.
The Vancouver Whistler 2025 Games will be the first of seven editions to feature winter adaptive sports, including alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling.
British Columbia’s Lower Mainland will host the Invictus Games from Feb. 8-16.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
