In mid-July, parts of Ontario woke up under a yellow sky. Nearly 200 forest fires were burning, most of them in the northwest, and Toronto briefly had the worst air quality of any major city in the world. Within days, the smoke had become a cross-border political issue, prompting criticism from lawmakers in the United States and a sharp response from Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Lost in that noise were Ontario’s more than 48,000 farms, drawing on guidance spread across multiple organizations to make difficult decisions. Should farm crews remain in the field, and is livestock feed or water safe? While Canada has announced further investments in tackling wildfires, farm-specific advice remains scattered and unclear.
