Metro Vancouver teamed up with Vancouver Coastal Health in June to help the media get a better understanding of the region’s role in air quality management, particularly when dealing with wildfire smoke.
Metro Vancouver’s air quality was significantly affected by wildfire smoke during the summers of 2015, 2017 and 2018, and the event was in response to increased media interest in regional air quality, wildfire smoke health risks, and how the public can prepare for these risks.
The media event included a presentation, question and answer period, and a tour of Metro Vancouver’s Mobile Air Monitoring Unit (MAMU). Staff from Vancouver Coastal Health addressed questions specifically related to air quality health risks.
Media attendees included CBC, CKNW, CTV, Fairchild, Global, News1130, The Tyee, Vancouver Sun and The Weather Network. The event was well received, and resulted in a number of media stories that emphasized the importance of public preparedness for wildfire smoke impacts.
Staff will continue to work with media organizations during any upcoming air quality advisory periods to ensure clear public communication of air quality risks and appropriate approaches for mitigating impacts.
Metro Vancouver operates a network of 31 air quality monitoring stations from Horseshoe Bay to Hope, which collects air quality and meteorological data on a continuous basis. Data are made available to the public on Metro Vancouver’s website at airmap.ca, as well as on the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (BC MOECCS) website.