Fort Erie lifts smoke closures as air quality improves
July 19, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Fort Erie reopened its beaches, splash pads and the Tennis Club Sunday morning after four days of wildfire smoke closures.
The town announced that all closed municipal sites had reopened at 9:48 a.m., hours after Environment and Climate Change Canada lifted the air quality alert that had covered Niagara since Wednesday. The regional Air Quality Health Index read 3, a low-risk level, by 10 a.m.
The closures had cancelled recreation programs, shut down the Crystal Beach Waterfront Supper Market and pushed Garrison Road business owners to postpone the revived Friendship Festival two days before its planned opening.
Smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario settled over Niagara on Wednesday. The health index held at 10, the top of the high-risk scale, from 1 a.m. Friday. Fine particle levels in the Golden Horseshoe reached 2.6 times World Health Organization guidelines, and Niagara’s air was briefly ranked the worst in the world.
Environment Canada forecasts a moderate-risk reading of four for Sunday, easing to low risk overnight and through Monday.
People with heart and lung conditions remain the most sensitive to any lingering pollution.
The town says it will post updates if conditions change.
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About The Author
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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