Let’s Clear the Air Cowichan

The Cowichan Valley is known for its majestic mountains, Mediterranean climate, semi-rural lifestyle … and unfortunately poor air quality! Along with poor air quality comes poor health, which means that the very things we love about where we live account for our community’s higherthan-average level of respiratory illnesses when compared to the rest of British Columbia.

The Cowichan Valley is a Bowl

Why do we have such poor quality here? One reason is due to our unique local topography. Living in a valley surrounded by mountains is like living in a bowl. When you combine this factor with seasonal weather variations and the prominent use of woodstoves for home heating, it is similar to putting a lid on a bowl.

Let’s Break it Down

Due to our topography, we experience frequent weather inversions in the winter months which cause poor venting index ratings. These inversions occur when hot air becomes trapped under cool air, preventing the ground winds from mixing with atmospheric air, which is what the venting index measures. This issue is further compounded as many homes in the Cowichan Valley still rely on woodstoves as a primary heating source, which causes smoke to persist for days. To make matters worse, many of these old and inefficient woodstoves require more wood, which generates more smoke pollution than new EPA or CSA-certified stoves.

Rebates, Rebates, Rebates!

The good news is that we can take steps to reduce the smoke we breathe throughout the year by upgrading old, inefficient woodstoves to healthier home heating options. With support from the BC Lung Association and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) offers rebates through the Community Woodsmoke Reduction Program. To reflect the changing climate and economy, the 2023 program will:

• Increase incentives up to $2,350;

• Allow residents to keep their EPA or CSA-certified woodstoves for emergency backup use in case of power outages; and,

• Provide a bounty rebate program for removing existing non-certified woodstoves.

For more information about the 2023 program and how to apply for a CVRD Community Woodsmoke Reduction Program rebate, visit www.cvrd.bc.ca/ woodstove.

Written by Leah Berscheid, Environmental Technologist at the Cowichan Valley Regional District