Between 1981 and 2023, the number of annual 'smoke hours' in Edmonton has risen from an average of 14 to 199 hours so far this year. Experts say it's affecting our mental health.
The average between 1981 and 2010 in Calgary was 12 smoke hours annually.
Shelley said the trend of longer and more intense wildfire seasons has pushed Environment and Climate Change Canada to increase its tracking practices, create wildfire smoke trajectories, and try to forecast wildfire and smoke. The agency is also increasing public education on the health risks of wildfire and smoke.
However, Canadians are also concerned about the current economic conditions and how they will be asked to contribute on an individual level. Over one-third feel now may not be the right time to invest in climate action given the economic pinch felt by many across the country. “We know that the impact is quite great, especially on the youth of today, but I think everyone is noticing it in their own way,” said Dr. Christine Gibson, a Calgary-based doctor with the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
“They feel that we have failed to protect them and the planet. And the way it manifests in the individual is really high levels of anxiety, depression, a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and despondency.
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