City’s air among the cleanest in Ontario

The province has released its latest air quality report, and Thunder Bay is at the top of the list in the two main categories for clean air.

According to data from 2009, Thunder Bay had the lowest ground-level ozone rating out of 20 Ontario cities, at 53 parts per billion. Windsor and Kingston were tied for the highest at 81 parts per billion. 

Ground-level ozone is a major component of smog. Thunder Bay air is also the cleanest when it comes to particulate matter, measuring 14 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 25 in Hamilton and 22 in Toronto. 

The report says air quality around the province has greatly improved over the past decade, due to decreased emissions of common air pollutants. 

According to the report, two of the main contributors are cleaner vehicles and the province's move away from coal-fired power generation.