The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Area residents have detected smoke in the air in recent days, the source of which were wildland fires in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The provincial government said the smoke was expected to drift into northern and central Manitoba, with levels varying throughout the province over the weekend. Smoke levels were expected to be highest this past Saturday in areas around Flin Flon and The Pas, but other areas could have been impacted as well. Manitoba Health advises that people at higher risk, such as young children, the elderly and people with heart or lung conditions (particularly asthma), take additional precautions if conditions: are hazy with a smoke odour; if visibility is less than 8 kilometres; or if they are having symptoms. Others may wish to avoid strenuous activity in these conditions. If smoke is thicker, everyone may wish to consider precautions. Exposure to smoke can cause sore eyes, tears, coughing and a runny nose. In areas affected by smoke from wildland fires, Manitoba Health encourages residents to: use common sense about outdoor or strenuous physical activity; if breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable, stop or reduce the activity; reduce exposure to smoke by staying indoors or moving to areas with cleaner air, as conditions can vary dramatically by area; Êif an air conditioner is drawing in smoke from outside, consider reducing the external air intake, running it intermittently or turning it off; Êkeep indoor air cleaner by avoiding smoking or burning other materials; and use a commercially available, high-efficiency particulate-air (HEPA) filter to further improve indoor air quality near the filter. Manitobans with health questions or concerns can contact their health-care provider or Health Links at 1-888-315-9257 (toll-free). _ Compiled from a Government of Manitoba news release
