For coaches and organizers of youth and community sport in Canada, 2026 season. Covers the Air Quality Health Index and wildfire smoke, extreme heat and heat illness, and lightning safety, from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada.
The AQHI runs from 1 to 10+, and the higher the number, the greater the health risk. Environment and Climate Change Canada's advice by category (the page defines "people at risk" as children, people over 65 and those with health conditions):
| AQHI | Risk | General population | People at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Low | Enjoy usual outdoor activities | Enjoy usual outdoor activities |
| 4 to 6 | Moderate | Continue usual activities unless you have symptoms like coughing and throat irritation | Consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities if you have symptoms |
| 7 to 10 | High | Consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities if you have symptoms |
| Reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities |
| 10+ | Very high | Reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities, especially if you have symptoms | Avoid strenuous activities outdoors |
Check the AQHI and air quality alerts before every session. They are available through Canadian weather pages, the WeatherCAN app and local forecasts, and WeatherCAN can notify you when the AQHI changes.
Health Canada lists infants and young children among those most at risk, along with people with existing illness or chronic conditions, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, and those who work or exercise outdoors.
Milder, more common symptoms: headaches, a mild cough, mucus, and nose, throat, eye or sinus irritation.
More serious, less common symptoms: dizziness, wheezing, chest pains, severe cough, asthma attacks, shortness of breath and heart palpitations.
Limit time outdoors, and stop or cut back strenuous activity if symptoms appear.
Health Canada suggests indoor exercise in a place with cleaner air, such as a gym or community centre, for longer smoke events. Contact local authorities to find nearby cleaner air spaces.
Smoke levels can change hour to hour, so be ready to stop an activity if conditions worsen. For serious symptoms such as dizziness, wheezing, chest pains, severe cough, shortness of breath or palpitations, talk to a health care provider or seek urgent medical attention, and call 9-1-1 in a suspected emergency.
Health Canada's guidance for people who are active in extreme heat includes:
Health Canada advises:
Health Canada lists these.
Heat exhaustion: elevated body temperature, confusion and poor coordination, skin rash, muscle cramping, lightheadedness or fainting, queasiness or vomiting, profuse sweating, headache, fast breathing and heartbeat, intense thirst, and dark urine with less frequent urination.
Heat stroke: elevated body temperature, confusion and poor coordination, dizziness or fainting, and no sweating with very hot, red skin.
Health Canada also says people with breathing difficulties, heart problems, mental illness, hypertension or kidney problems are at higher risk, and that infants and young children are likely at higher risk because of their physiology and dependence on caregivers.
Heat exhaustion: move the person to a cool place and give them liquids, with water being best.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Health Canada says to call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. While waiting for help:
Never leave people or pets in a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight.
Stop as soon as you can hear thunder. Environment and Climate Change Canada says: "If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning."
Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside. Each new rumble restarts the 30-minute count.
Environment and Climate Change Canada adds that most lightning injuries and deaths happen before rain starts or after it stops, so a dry field is not a sign it is safe.
To estimate distance, count the seconds from the flash to the thunder and divide by three to get kilometres (15 seconds is about 5 km). The 30-minute rule applies from the last thunder you hear.
No. Environment and Climate Change Canada says:
Environment and Climate Change Canada says to:
A hard-topped or all-metal vehicle is safe during lightning, but do not step out if power lines may be touching it.
Environment and Climate Change Canada's guidance for large outdoor venues includes:
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Lightning safety overview (canada.ca).