Alberta town ranked as having the worst air quality in North America

When you think of Alberta, you might imagine crisp mountain air, but a new report shows one Alberta town has the worst air quality in North America.

Whitecourt has been singled out as having the dirtiest air, according to an analysis of 2024 data by IQAir and published by HouseFresh. The study focused on fine particulate matter, specifically PM2.5, which comprises tiny particles that can cause severe health problems.

The town, located 180 km northwest of Edmonton, ranked worst in North America among large towns and cities, recording an average PM2.5 concentration of 48.4 micrograms per cubic metre. That’s nearly double the level measured in any other urban centre.

The report points to wildfire smoke as Whitecourt’s primary source of air pollution.

“Wildfires across the Alberta province make bad air days a regular occurrence. Multiple studies have found that particulate matter from wildfires may lead to more hospitalizations than other forms of PM2.5,” the report says.

Outside of Whitecourt, most of the worst-ranked towns in North America for air quality are in Mexico. Whitecourt is the only Canadian community to appear at the very top of the list.

You might also like:
• Eight Alberta spots named top places to live in Canada for a comfortable life
• Six new affordable housing projects are on the way for Edmonton
• Just moved to Alberta? Here are 15 things you need to do this fall

On the flip side, a couple of Canadian cities made the clean list. Prince Rupert and Powell River were ranked among the cleanest in North America, while Waimea in Hawaii took the top spot overall. Its Hawaiian neighbours, Mililani Town and Ocean View, also placed among the best.

HouseFresh.com

Globally, Asia dominates the list of the world’s most polluted cities, with India at the forefront, while many of the cleanest can be found in Europe.

You can read the full report online.