In Montreal the worst breaths of air

The air quality in the Quebec metropolis was the worst in the world

The image is surreal: on a summer Sunday, one of Montreal’s largest parks is deserted. In the background, the tower of the Olympic Stadium tilts in the gloom. Its roof sparkles with orange reflections. The Montérégiennes, those mountains that we usually see on the horizon, have disappeared.

Montreal stood at the top of the list of major cities with the worst air quality in the world on Sunday, due to wildfires. This taste of smoke affected dozens of cities in the province and forced the cancellation of sports tournaments and cultural activities.

There were still 116 forest fires hundreds of kilometers north of the metropolis on Sunday. A wind from the northwest pushed the plumes of smoke into southern Quebec, said Samir Al-Alwani, meteorologist for Environment Canada.

A smog alert was also in effect in most areas of the province.

“It gives a sensation in the throat, it’s not good at all,” observed David, crossed at Maisonneuve Park, in the east of Montreal. He was one of the few groups that dared to venture outside.

With two friends and their children, he hoped to have a barbecue. When we arrived, he was rather packing up.

Sunday morning, the air quality index in downtown Montreal reached 407. It is considered bad from 51.

A worse index than in Jakarta, Indonesia, New Delhi, India, or São Paolo, Brazil, according to the IQair website.

The metropolis sat at the top of the list of major cities with the worst air quality in the world all day.

“It is sure that it is worrying”, noted Mariama Diallo, aged 68. The lady who comes from the South Shore of Montreal planned to visit the Botanical Garden with her husband, daughter and grandchildren. The group came up against a closed door, due to poor air quality.

Mr. Diallo, at his side, has heart problems, according to his daughter Fatoumata. “I am pregnant and forgot my mask,” she added.

After letting the children burn off some energy, the group headed back to the Parc Maisonneuve parking lot.

But not everyone decided to avoid physical exercise. Julie-Anne, on roller skates, is above all worried about the planet.

Vegan, active, she considers “that we are living the consequences of what we do. But will that stop me from going outside? No,” she snaps.

Not to mention those for whom being outside is a livelihood. “Smog is definitely something today,” lamented Michel Bourdeau, owner of Crème mobile.

His employee Michael Ouzilleau – who operates the ice cream cart – was not wearing a mask. “With a mask and the heat, it’s even hotter! “, he explained. The solution for them: bottled water.

“It goes to your head”

“If you take off the mask for five or ten minutes, it goes to your head,” exclaims Jean-Maxime. We met him in the borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, in the middle of a move. Each member of the group of friends wore a mask.

A few days from 1^er July, between Saturday’s rain and that forecast for the rest of the week, the moving trucks criss-crossed the city.

“It’s not fun, but it’s okay for now,” said Kate, placing a coffee table on the sidewalk on 1^D Ave.

“We were a little apprehensive, but in the end, it’s not that bad! “, observed Karine Hervieux, from her new balcony on rue de Rouen, in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

The group of friends, in their thirties, decided they didn’t need a mask. But they were planning to dive into a pool at the end of the day, and drink lots of water.

Canceled, canceled, canceled

If the movers are forced to be outside, several sports and cultural activities were canceled on Sunday.

“In order to ensure the respiratory health of the population, the City of Montreal is announcing the closure of its outdoor sports facilities and the cancellation of its outdoor cultural activities until June 26 at noon,” said the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante. , on Twitter. Swimming pools and paddling pools are also covered by this exceptional measure. The situation will be reassessed tomorrow according to the evolution of the situation. »

The series events of the World Triathlon Championships in mixed relay, which were held in the Old Port, did not take place, as did the special Saint-Jean show by Piknik Électronik, which was to be held at Parc Jean- Flag in Montreal Sunday at 4 p.m.

In Mont-Tremblant, in the Laurentians, the Ironman 70.3 competition has also been canceled.

Most outdoor sports have been suspended in smog-hit cities. At Soccer Quebec, matches scheduled for Sunday and provincial competitions have been canceled, the sports federation said.

In Val-d’Or, the municipal beach and water games have been closed and the activities of the trailer Read in the park have been cancelled. The City of Rouyn-Noranda had already warned its residents to take the necessary measures on Saturday, as did the City of Sept-Îles, on the North Shore.

Air quality is expected to return to normal by Monday afternoon, thanks to a change in wind direction, according to Environment Canada’s Al-Alwani. Rain forecast for Monday afternoon will also help bring down fine particles suspended in the air.

The smoke from the forest fires in northern Quebec is so large that it will be visible as far as Europe, where it can be seen on the west coast from Monday, according to what the scientific director of the Copernicus Service for Atmospheric Monitoring, Mark Parrington.

With Vincent Larin, The Press