Article content

Tempted to build a cosy fire to ward off that autumn chill in the air? Remember that as of Monday, Oct. 1, Montreal’s strict ban on wood burning outlaws the burning of any solid fuel in residences in all of Montreal’s 19 boroughs, unless the stove or fireplace is one of the newest, cleanest burning models (i.e. certified to emit no more than 2.5 grams of fine particles per hour).

Here are answers to some basic questions about the bylaw:

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Montreal's wood-burning ban starts Oct. 1: What you need to know Back to video

Why is the city of Montreal outlawing wood burning? Haven’t humans been breathing wood smoke forever? What’s the big deal?

After vehicle emissions, wood burning is the most significant source of fine particle pollution in Montreal, and that stuff is seriously harmful to human health. We breathe those fine particles deep into our lungs, where they can do a lot of damage. Yes, humans have gathered around fires since time immemorial, but we also used to die a lot younger. Now we know better. Since 2013, the World Health Organization has classified the fine particulate matter in wood smoke as a carcinogen. According to estimates by the Institut National de Santé Publique (INSPQ), wood smoke causes about 900 premature deaths per year on the island of Montreal, more than 6,000 cases of bronchitis in children, 40,000 asthma attacks and almost 300 emergency visits to hospitals for other respiratory and cardiac problems. In 2011, a study by the INSPQ and Montreal’s public health agency estimated that neighbourhoods that heat with wood have higher rates of hospital admissions for respiratory problems than those that do not. In 2011, Quebec’s public health institute and Montreal’s public health agency collaborated on a study to quantify the health impacts of wood stoves in Rivière-des-Prairies, where a large proportion of residential homes use wood for heating. They found an increase in asthma attacks and bronchitis, as well as increased aggravation of other respiratory symptoms and premature deaths. Cities around the world are coming to the conclusion that it makes no sense to allow wood burning in densely populated areas and are taking action to restrict it.