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As wildfire season begins, Canada’s federal government has announced  that will be used to support provinces and territories. Last year’s wildfire season was Canada’s second-worst on record; it prompted severe air quality alerts across much of the country. 

³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ experts are available to comment: 

Sasha Bernatsky, MD, is a James ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Professor in the Divisions of Rheumatology and Clinical Epidemiology and co-director of the Lupus Clinic at the Montreal General Hospital. A leading expert in how the environment affects immune-system health, Bernatsky was the first to identify potential links between air pollution and autoimmune conditions.ÌýÌý

sasha.bernatsky [at] mcgill.ca (English, French) 

John Gradek, Faculty Lecturer, School of Continuing Studies, co-ordinates ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ's aviation and supply chain programs and is a former Air Canada executive. Gradek can discuss why Canada needs a better co-ordinated national wildfire strategy. He can also comment on how wildfire smoke affects air travel, including flight delays and cancellations due to reduced visibility. 

john.gradek [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)  

Jay Kaufman, Full Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, can discuss how increasing wildfires are reversing years of progress in air quality. In a new paper published in , Kaufman and colleagues explore why current regulations struggle to address PM2.5, a harmful pollutant produced by wildfire smoke. 

jay.kaufman [at] mcgill.caÌý(·¡²Ô²µ±ô¾±²õ³ó)Ìý

Scott Weichenthal, Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health can comment on the short- and long-term health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure, as well as the broader links between air pollution and chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.  

scott.weichenthal [at] mcgill.ca (·¡²Ô²µ±ô¾±²õ³ó) â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯