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Dec. 22 is the deadline for Montreal residents to register all fireplaces or wood-burning stoves (or anything that burns solid matter, as opposed to fuel or electric). It’s part of a plan adopted by the city of Montreal to implement stricter air-pollution regulations by 2018. Dorval recently adopted similar measures.Montreal sent out 47,000 letters to residents it suspects has the appliances, based on records of municipal home evaluations. As of late November, the city had compiled 23,000 online responses.

The penalty for residents who have not registered wood-burning fireplaces or stoves is a fine of up to $500.

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Starting in 2018, wood-burning appliances will be banned unless they meet the rigorous new emission standards of 2.5 grams of fine particles or less per hour. The bylaw is among the strictest in North America, said Réal Ménard, the city’s executive committee responsible for the environment. Presently, transforming a stove or fireplace with inserts so that it is in compliance with the coming regulations costs between $2,000 and $8,000.

Also part of the new bylaw:

• No wood-burning appliances can be operated on smog days, when air pollution rates are considered dangerously high.

• During power outages lasting longer than three hours, even non-compliant wood-burning devices may be used.