An orange haze enveloping Toronto’s skyline has triggered an ongoing orange-level air quality alert, prompting advocates to express concerns about the heightened risks faced by the city’s most vulnerable residents and calling for enhanced safeguards. While authorities advise individuals to stay indoors and shut windows due to the wildfire smoke, advocates highlight the challenges faced by those lacking air conditioning, homeless individuals, and outdoor workers.
Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of seniors’ advocacy group CanAge, emphasized that older adults are particularly susceptible to health issues due to aging lungs’ decreased efficiency in filtering pollutants. She noted that individuals with underlying conditions like COPD, heart disease, or diabetes face heightened vulnerability during such events.
Smoke incidents typically lead to a 40% surge in hospitalizations among Canadians over 65, Tamblyn Watts explained, stressing the need for proactive policy adaptations to address these increasingly frequent occurrences. She emphasized the importance of implementing air filtration systems in homes and establishing mechanisms to monitor the well-being of older adults.
Responding to calls for policy reforms to protect seniors, the Ontario Ministry of Health directed inquiries to Public Health Ontario, which provided a resource outlining the province’s most at-risk populations. The health agency clarified its role, stating it does not set or enforce public health policies or legislation.
Finding relief poses a greater challenge for individuals living on Toronto’s streets. Steve Teekens, executive director of the Native Men’s Residence (Na-Me-Res), highlighted the strain on the city’s limited resources, expressing the desire to provide affordable housing for all homeless individuals, acknowledging the current inadequacy.
As shelter staff encourage residents to remain indoors and outreach teams distribute water, Na-Me-Res shelters have reached full capacity, necessitating the redirection of individuals to municipal cooling spaces or libraries. The city has activated emergency surge capacity across its shelter system and established a 24-hour cooling space at 136 Spadina Rd., along with six “cleaner air spaces” at various civic centers.
Alex Armstrong, sales manager at Design Turf, highlighted a prevalent “macho” culture in landscaping that often disregards air quality risks. He stressed the need for industry-wide policies addressing air quality concerns more comprehensively.
Physicians cautioned against heavy labor exacerbating health risks, with examples like Shane Desjardin, owner of True North Masonry, working despite asthma in the smoky conditions. Dr. Samantha Green, a family physician at Unity Health Toronto and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, emphasized the need for proper precautions, urging outdoor workers to wear N95 masks and reschedule strenuous activities when feasible.
Green underscored the necessity of broader worker protections at a policy level during climate-driven events like wildfire smoke and extreme heat. She advocated for regulations to mitigate health risks and emphasized the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels to address abnormal air quality.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour reiterated employers’ legal obligation to safeguard employees from environmental hazards under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, highlighting workers’ right to refuse unsafe work. The ministry pointed to increased fines for workplace safety violations as part of provincial enforcement measures.