Fort Erie extends wildfire smoke closures through the weekend
July 17, 2026 at 11:53 PM
The Town of Fort Erie has confirmed its air-quality closures will stay in place through the weekend, keeping Bay Beach, the splash pads and the Tennis Club shut and recreation programs cancelled as wildfire smoke holds the region at high-risk levels.
Town staff met at 4 p.m. Friday and confirmed the closures will continue, with Environment Canada air quality warnings expected to persist through the weekend. The town also cancelled Friday’s Derby Days programming and says it will keep watching air quality for the remainder of the event.
The Air Quality Health Index held at 10 in Fort Erie from 1 a.m. Friday, a level Air Quality Ontario considers high risk. The agency recommends avoiding strenuous outdoor activity under those conditions.
The weekend extension reverses earlier expectations. Environment Canada had forecast the smoke would begin clearing Friday.
Smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario settled over Niagara on Wednesday. The town closed Bay Beach, the splash pads and the Tennis Club on Thursday, cancelled recreation programs and called off the Crystal Beach Waterfront Supper Market.
Garrison Road business owners postponed the revived Friendship Festival on Wednesday evening, two days before its planned opening.
Municipalities across Hamilton and Niagara reported similar disruptions Friday, including cancelled outdoor programs and pool closures, and Port Colborne has issued a total fire ban covering bonfires and fire pits.
Fort Erie’s ban on open-air burning also remains in effect. Fire Chief Mark Schmitt told Fort Erie Radio this week that campfires are prohibited under the town’s burning bylaw, which bans open-air fires during heat advisories, smog alerts or hazardous winds.
The town advises residents to stay indoors as much as possible, keep windows and doors closed and limit strenuous activity outside. Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with heart or lung conditions face greater risk from the smoke.
Residents looking to escape the smoke can use the atrium and walking track at the Fort Erie Leisureplex on Municipal Centre Drive or any of the three Fort Erie Public Library branches, all of which remain open and air conditioned.
The town will decide the fate of the rest of Derby Days as it tracks air quality through the weekend and says it will post updates as conditions change.
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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