The Town of Okotoks encourages residents to learn how local actions can positively impact our community and our planet. In this section, find practical tools, resources and tips to assist you in monitoring your air quality both indoors and outdoors, and things you can do to keep our air clean.
Outdoor air quality is affected by human activity, weather conditions and events such as wildfires. Outdoor air quality in Alberta is monitored using a combination of permanent and temporary monitoring stations within regional airshed zones. Okotoks is located within the Calgary Regional Airshed Zone (CRAZ).
Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a tool developed by Environment Canada and Health Canada used to report outdoor air quality on a simple scale from 1-10+. It considers levels of particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in the air, and generates an air quality rating.
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Check out this interactive map of the province of Alberta to view the current air quality, the air quality score in each region and the forecasted air quality.
Tips to limit your exposure to poor outdoor air quality during an air quality event:
Reduce levels of outdoor physical activity, as necessary, to decrease the inhalation of airborne pollutants. Move activities indoors when possible.
Drink plenty of water to keep the nose and mouth moist
Keep windows and vents closed in your vehicle. Run car fans on re-circulate mode to avoid drawing in outdoor air. Vehicles should not be used as a means of shelter.
Often idling cannot be helped, for example, if you are warming up your vehicle while clearing your windshield or dropping off the kids at the rink.
Just as often, there are situations when idling is not necessary. People are often seen running their vehicles while waiting to pick up a child at school or while running into a store. Unnecessary idling gets you nowhere; instead‚ it wastes money and fuel, and produces greenhouse gases that lead to climate change.
Did you know? Turning off your car while parked in a school zone can radically reduce children's exposure to toxic pollutants.
As part of our Sustainable Community strategy, Okotoks has an idle-free bylaw. The idle-free bylaw puts measures in place we can all follow to benefit our community. The intent of this bylaw is to limit excessive idling. It’s important to know the bylaw has rules in place that change along with the temperature outside. Exceptions have been written into Bylaw to take extenuating circumstances into effect.
No driver shall cause or permit an occupied vehicle to idle for more than three (3) consecutive minutes within a continuous thirty (30) minute period when the outdoor ambient air temperature is between 5oC and 25oC.
No persons shall cause or permit an unoccupied vehicle to idle for more than three (3) consecutive minutes within a continuous thirty (30) minute period when the outdoor ambient air temperature is above 0oC.
No persons shall cause or permit an unoccupied vehicle to idle for more than ten (10) consecutive minutes within a continuous thirty (30) minute period when the outdoor ambient air temperature is below 0oC.
Are there exceptions to the Idle-Free Bylaw?
Yes. For example, idling is permitted if there is a pet present in an unoccupied vehicle. You are also allowed to idle (if required) while engaged in a mechanical test or vehicle maintenance.
Please read the Bylaw for the full list of exceptions.
Cold Weather Idling
Natural Resources Canada suggests warming up your vehicle “by driving it at a moderate speed. In most cases, you need no more than 2-3 minutes of idling from a cold start on winter days. Vehicle components, such as wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires, are best warmed up by driving the vehicle.” Please clear your windows of ice and snow before driving.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is influenced by temperature and humidity, as well as indoor contaminants such as mould, dust, or other sources of vapours (e.g., paints, cleaning supplies, etc.). If you are concerned about the air quality within your building, consider what types of activities might be contributing to poor air quality and try to reduce them.
Indoor air quality is also affected when outdoor air contaminants get inside the building, through open doors and windows, ventilation systems, and other pathways for air movement if a building envelope is not air-tight.
For more information on sources of indoor air pollution and how to reduce exposure in your home, check out the Government of Canada's Air Quality and Health page at canada.ca
How to reduce impact on indoor air quality during an air quality event
Alberta Health Services recommends the following tips to reduce the impact on indoor air quality during an air quality event:
Think about ways to keep the poor air quality out of your home, such as:
Close all outside windows and doors, including attached garage doors. Properly seal any areas with drafts.
Close fireplace dampers on wood burning fireplaces.
Do not use wood burning fireplaces, wood stoves or other smoke-producing appliances or features, including candles.
Your heating / cooling / ventilation systems:
Turn down furnace thermostats and furnace fans to the minimum setting. Do not attempt to extinguish pilot light.
If you have an air-conditioner, keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.
Avoid running fans, such as “whole-house fans” or “fresh air ventilation systems”, that bring more smoky outdoor air inside.
Switch all floor registers to closed position.
If you have room air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, turn them on. Don’t use air cleaners that may produce ozone. For portable air cleaners, follow all the manufacturer’s instructions for changing the filter, where to place the device, and the size of room it’s meant to be used in.
Improving Indoor Air Quality - A Green Living Workshop
The Town of Okotoks hosted a Green Living Workshop in 2023 on improving indoor air quality. In the below video, you can learn more about particulate matter (a significant contaminant associated with wildfire smoke events), associated health effects, and how to improve indoor air quality in your home, including how to build a home air filter.
A Portable Air Monitoring Laboratory (PAML) truck will be stationed in the bus loop between Okotoks Junior High School and Percy Pegler School from August 2024 until July 2025.
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This Portable Air Monitoring Laboratory (PAML) is operated by the Calgary Regional Airshed Zone (CRAZ) Society with funding from the Government of Alberta. The truck will monitor and report on outdoor air quality in Okotoks in real-time using the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). The data will also be used to inform CRAZ’s long-term strategy for ambient air quality monitoring in this region. You can view the monitoring data publicly at craz.ca/monitoring.
For any questions about this project, please get in touch by calling 403-835-0438.