Canada's environment ministers endorse updated air quality standards
Provincial, territorial and federal environment ministers met in Yellowknife for the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.
In a joint communique released Friday, they say wildfires are one of the major contributors to air pollution, which can adversely affect the health of Canadians.
They say by approving updated Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter, they are 'supporting actions that will continue to improve air quality in Canada.'
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The standards measure the amount of a given pollutant in outdoor air, and while they are not legally binding, the ministers call them a key element of managing air quality.
Story continues below advertisement
The council's website lists the updated standards for fine particulate at 23 micrograms per cubic metre in 24 hours by 2030, a decrease from the 2020 standards of 27 micrograms per cubic metre.
The statement says the standards were developed by federal, provincial and territorial governments collaboratively with representatives from industry, environmental, Indigenous groups and health non-governmental organizations.
Northwest Territories Environment Minister Jay Macdonald, who hosted the meeting, told a news conference that the new standards will help all jurisdictions better protect communities from the growing health impacts of poor air quality.
He said climate change is increasing wildfire risk.
'Strong, science-based, national standards help ensure we're prepared for these challenges and support long-term health and resilience,' he said.
Next year's council meeting is scheduled to take place in Alberta.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
Recipe: Vanilla yeasted waffles
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Vanilla yeasted waffles 1 cup + 1 tbsp. Patty Cakes Protein Pancake Mix ½ tsp. Dry Instant Yeast 1 cup Milk (of any kind) 4 Large Eggs Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 2 tbsp Vanilla Extract 4 tbsp. Melted Butter Mix dry yeast, vanilla extract, and milk, set aside. Once yeast softens add Cracked eggs to Milk mixture and whisk Add the Patty Cakes Protein Pancake Mix to the milk and egg mixture and mix till smooth then stir in the melted butter. Set aside to Proof or Rise Story continues below advertisement Then make super fluffy waffles in your heated waffle iron.
Global News
9 hours ago
- Global News
‘Breach of trust': Critics slam Ottawa's vaccine injury program ‘failure'
A federal government program designed during the pandemic to compensate people who have been seriously and permanently injured by vaccines is 'failing' and a 'breach of trust,' say opposition parties. A five-month-long Global News investigation of the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), involving more than 30 interviews with current and former Oxaro employees, injured claimants and their attorneys, uncovered allegations that the company was unequipped to deliver fully on the program's mission, questions about why the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) chose this company over others, and internal documents that suggest poor planning from the start. The federal government has launched a compliance audit to determine if an Ottawa consulting company is mismanaging the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), and Public Health Agency of Canada officials made a surprise visit to the firm's offices in mid-June, Global News reported on July 3. 'Reading the Global News reporting, folks are not receiving adequate compensation and the descriptions of the sort of playground environment at this very serious program are shocking, disappointing to hear,' said Conservative MP Matt Strauss. Story continues below advertisement Strauss sits on the House of Commons health committee and worked as a critical care specialist prior to being elected as a member of Parliament. He added, 'I think the most startling fact is of the 3,000 or so claims that were made, they haven't even gotten through half of them … it's shocking, it's not right. It's a breach of trust.' 4:04 'Chaos' inside Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program There have been 11,702 reports of serious adverse events following a COVID-19 vaccination, according to Health Canada. That's equal to 0.011 per cent of the 105,015,456 doses administered as of December 2023. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The government stepped in and gave Canadians an assurance that any injuries or death, as a matter of fact, that were caused by the vaccines would be fully compensated by a program that was accessible. I would say that the program that the Liberal government did finally implement is failing Canadians utterly,' said interim NDP Leader Don Davies. Story continues below advertisement Kerry Bowman, bioethicist at the University of Toronto, voiced similar concerns. 'I'm horrified,' said Bowman. 'I'm horrified that it seems that it's been handled just so very badly.' Then-prime minister Justin Trudeau announced the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) in December 2020. The effort, which began six months later, aimed to support people who have been seriously and permanently injured by any Health Canada-authorized vaccine administered in the country on or after Dec. 8, 2020. Approved claimants could receive lump sum injury or death payouts, ongoing income replacement, and reimbursement of medical expenses. But instead of the government operating VISP, as is done with similar programs in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, Canada elected to outsource the work. In March 2021, the government hired Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Consulting Inc. — now called Oxaro Inc. — to administer the program. The challenges began soon after it launched. 2:48 Whistleblowers allege 'high school' workplace inside federal program A Global News investigation has uncovered complaints that the program has failed to deliver on its promise of 'fair and timely' access to financial support for the injured. Story continues below advertisement This five-month probe is based on more than 30 interviews with injured and ill people, former VISP workers, and attorneys who allege the effort is being mismanaged, leaving claimants feeling angry, abandoned, uncared for, and even abused. Oxaro said in an emailed response to Global News that this is a new program and it has adapted its operations to meet higher-than-expected volumes. In response to a 15-page list of questions, the company said, 'The VISP is a new and demand-based program with an unknown and fluctuating number of applications and appeals submitted by claimants.' 'The program processes, procedures and staffing were adapted to face the challenges linked to receiving substantially more applications than originally planned,' Oxaro added. 'Oxaro and PHAC have been collaborating closely to evaluate how the program can remain agile to handle the workload on hand while respecting budget constraints.' The complexity of the claims filed can also affect processing timelines, Oxaro said. 'Timelines for a determination of eligibility and support will depend on the nature and complexity of the claim. All claims will be individually assessed by medical experts. The process will include a review of all required and relevant medical documentation, as well as current medical evidence, to determine if there is a probable link between the injury and the vaccine.' Story continues below advertisement PHAC, meanwhile, has said it is reviewing Oxaro's five-year arrangement to administer VISP, which is up for renewal next year. Bowman said the situation would only make vaccine hesitancy worse. 'The public will see, not only are some people pushing back on vaccines, but even if something goes wrong, you're not going to get support I would argue that it's going to feed into growing trends of vaccine hesitancy. That's very problematic for all of us,' he said. Both Strauss and Davies drew comparisons to the ArriveCan app program, which has faced scrutiny over the costs and contracting for the pandemic-era app. 'I think we need a lot of transparency and accountability around both the ArriveCan app and now this VISP program to figure out what the heck went on so that Canadians can have trust in public health programs again,' Strauss said. Davies also cited the ArriveCan app as an example of what he described as a larger problem. 'I think this is part of a much broader problem that we've seen with the Liberal government over the last decade, really, which is an explosion in the use of outside consultants,' he said. 'I'd like to see the ministry take over this program. They're at least accountable directly to the minister and to taxpayers. If the outside consultants can't do it properly, it should be done by public servants who are in the ministry of health.'
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Canada's environment ministers endorse updated air quality standards
Canada's environment ministers have endorsed stronger air quality standards for fine particulate matter, while acknowledging the struggles caused by wildfires that can blanket the country in smoke advisories. Provincial, territorial and federal environment ministers met in Yellowknife for the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. In a joint communique released Friday, they say wildfires are one of the major contributors to air pollution, which can adversely affect the health of Canadians. They say by approving updated Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter, they are 'supporting actions that will continue to improve air quality in Canada.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The standards measure the amount of a given pollutant in outdoor air, and while they are not legally binding, the ministers call them a key element of managing air quality. Story continues below advertisement The council's website lists the updated standards for fine particulate at 23 micrograms per cubic metre in 24 hours by 2030, a decrease from the 2020 standards of 27 micrograms per cubic metre. The statement says the standards were developed by federal, provincial and territorial governments collaboratively with representatives from industry, environmental, Indigenous groups and health non-governmental organizations. Northwest Territories Environment Minister Jay Macdonald, who hosted the meeting, told a news conference that the new standards will help all jurisdictions better protect communities from the growing health impacts of poor air quality. He said climate change is increasing wildfire risk. 'Strong, science-based, national standards help ensure we're prepared for these challenges and support long-term health and resilience,' he said. Next year's council meeting is scheduled to take place in Alberta.
