Air Quality Monitoring

Major programs related to provincial air quality management are:

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring :In cooperation with Environment Canada, ambient air monitoring is being conducted on selected urban areas within the province. Additional monitoring stations are being considered to improve area of coverage and to enhance decision making. A website providing the monitoring data in near real time is available and publicly accessible. Also, the Province is an active partner in the Canada Air Quality Health Index forecasting (AQHI) program. The AQHI is designed to help Manitobans make informed decisions about protecting themselves and their family from the effects of air pollution. The AQHI is currently available for Winnipeg and Brandon and is being considered for Flin Flon and Thompson.

Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS)

Canadian jurisdictions are required to publish annual provincial reports on the achievement of the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone. The report compares the concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone for the 3-year period 2013 to 2015 with the standards under the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). This reporting is part of the new national Air Quality Management System (AQMS) that the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) agreed to implement in 2012.

For the current reporting period of 2013 to 2015, all air quality reporting areas (Winnipeg, Brandon, Flin Flon and Thompson) were in achievement of the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) requirements for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground level ozone. Notwithstanding, Manitoba will continue to implement air quality management strategies to prevent deterioration or keep the clean air clean and to address any other air quality issues that may arise. To view the latest Provincial Air Quality Report, click here