Monday, December 22, 2025
ADVT 
National

Air quality improving in Metro Vancouver despite wildfire setbacks: report

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 Jun, 2020 09:15 PM
  • Air quality improving in Metro Vancouver despite wildfire setbacks: report

Air quality in Metro Vancouver has been improving over the past decade, despite an unprecedented number of days that were under air quality advisories in 2017 and 2018.

A report from Metro Vancouver shows contaminant levels have improved at monitoring stations located from Horseshoe Bay to Hope.

The regional district issued no air quality advisories last year, unlike the wildfire seasons of 2017 and 2018 when smoke blanketed many parts of the province.

The report says sulphur dioxide levels continued to improve, mainly due to strict lower sulphur requirements for marine fuels.

It says average levels of ground-level ozone in the area have increased slightly despite reductions in the pollutants that cause it, partly due to an increase in ozone coming from outside Canada.

Vancouver Coun. Adriane Carr, who's also the chairwoman of the district's climate action committee, says Metro Vancouver's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would see the district become carbon neutral by 2050.

MORE National ARTICLES

Chief public health officer's decisions must be scrutinized: Scheer refuses to express confidence in Tam

Chief public health officer's decisions must be scrutinized: Scheer refuses to express confidence in Tam
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer refused Thursday to express confidence in Canada's chief public health officer, arguing the need to question her decisions around the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the reasons Parliament must resume. The four main parties in the House of Commons are locked in negotiations to determine if and how Parliament resumes on Monday, the deadline set for it to reconvene following its adjournment in mid-March.

Chief public health officer's decisions must be scrutinized: Scheer refuses to express confidence in Tam

Vancouver Aquarium could face closure due to COVID-19

The Vancouver Aquarium says it is facing bankruptcy and could be forced to close permanently if it can't arrange emergency funding. A statement from the facility says animal care and habitat costs for 70,000 animals exceed $1 million a month but revenues have dropped to almost zero since the COVID-19 outbreak forced it close last month.    

Vancouver Aquarium could face closure due to COVID-19

Fluevog designs 'The Dr. Henry' shoe inspired by B.C. provincial health officer

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is adding another title to her long list of credentials — shoe muse. John Fluevog Shoes is launching a limited edition shoe called "The Dr. Henry," inspired by the public health official. The Vancouver designer says the pink-heeled tribute was made with Henry's blessing, and all proceeds from a pre-sale set to begin next week will be donated to Food Banks BC to support the fight against COVID-19.

Fluevog designs 'The Dr. Henry' shoe inspired by B.C. provincial health officer

Crews make progress on wildfire near Squamish, B.C.

The BC Wildfire Service says crews are making good progress on a ground fire that's so far charred one square kilometre of bush and trees in the Upper Squamish Valley. Marg Drysdale, an information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, says calm weather has kept the fire's activity low Thursday afternoon as 37 firefighters and three helicopters work to get it under control.

Crews make progress on wildfire near Squamish, B.C.

Vancouver mayor says B.C. relief not enough to ward off layoffs, service cuts

Vancouver mayor says B.C. relief not enough to ward off layoffs, service cuts
Vancouver's mayor says community relief measures introduced Thursday by the British Columbia government are not enough to prevent city layoffs and service cuts. Kennedy Stewart said offering municipalities tax-payment delays as well as borrowing and debt initiatives is helpful but won't eliminate financial troubles related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vancouver mayor says B.C. relief not enough to ward off layoffs, service cuts

Federal inmate dies from COVID-19 complications at prison in Mission, B.C.

An inmate has died from an apparent complication related to COVID-19 at an institution in B.C. that is experiencing the largest outbreak among prisoners in Canada. Correctional Service Canada says it is the first death from the novel coronavirus among federally sentenced inmates in the country.

Federal inmate dies from COVID-19 complications at prison in Mission, B.C.