TORONTO

Heat, smog weigh down on most of Ontario

ctvtoronto.ca Published Monday, July 7, 2008 4:50PM EDT Last Updated Friday, May 18, 2012 8:34PM EDT

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The Ministry of the Environment has placed a massive swath of the province -- including all of Toronto -- under a smog advisory.

The advisory is in effect until further notice and covers the City of Toronto, Dufferin-Innisfil, the City of Hamilton, York-Durham, Halton-Peel and many of the surrounding regions in the southern, central and eastern parts of the province.

The ministry says the region can expect an increase in air pollution because of the combination of local pollution, the drift of polluted air from the United States and the day's hot and sunny weather.

Temperatures are expected to go up to 31 C on Monday afternoon, with 43 per cent humidity.

Toronto is also under an extreme heat alert and as a result, the city has announced it will extend the hours of several outdoor public pools.

The following swimming pools will be open until 11:45 p.m. Monday:

Alex Duff Memorial Outdoor Pool, 779 Crawford St.
Alexandra Park Outdoor Pool, 275 Bathurst St.
Cummer Park Community Centre Indoor Pool, 6000 Leslie St.
Giovanni Caboto Outdoor Pool, 1369 St. Clair Ave. W.
McGregor Park Outdoor Pool, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.
Monarch Park Outdoor Pool, 115 Felstead Ave.
Regent Park Outdoor Pool, 450 Gerrard St. E.
Smithfield Outdoor Pool, 175 Mount Olive Dr.
Sunnyside Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool, Lake Shore Blvd. at Parkside Dr.

For additional information on pool locations and operating hours, residents can call 416-338-POOL (7665).

Smog is made up of ground-level ozone, fine particulate matter and other pollutants that undergo a chemical reaction when heated. More than half of Ontario's summertime smog-causing pollution originates in the United States, according to the ministry.

Air Quality Ontario advises people to protect themselves by staying inside, refraining from strenuous activity outdoors and avoiding activities that produce additional pollutants, such as mowing the lawn.

Other regions currently under smog advisory include: