Strengthening Indoor Air Quality Across Toronto

HL34.4 - Public Health Role in Indoor Air Quality

The Board of Health moved to strengthen public health efforts around indoor air quality. Toronto Public Health will continue sharing practical, evidence-informed guidance to help residents improve air quality at home, work with schools and community partners to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses, and promote the City's indoor air quality resources for employers and building operators. The board also directed City staff to identify options for strengthening indoor air quality protections in rental housing, including ventilation and filtration maintenance, public guidance, tenant notification, and complaint response processes, with a report back to the Board of Health in 2027. 

I successfully moved a motion to request an update to the City's 2016 Indoor Air Quality Guidance for employees, incorporating lessons learned from COVID-19 and technological advances. I also secured board support for exploring a public indoor air quality dashboard for City-owned buildings to improve transparency and public awareness.

The board further called on the Province of Ontario to: 

• expand support for cleaner indoor air during wildfire smoke events, 

• improve air quality in schools and child care centres, 

• increase access to portable air cleaners for low-income and medically vulnerable residents, and 

• Update the Ontario Building Code to reflect current indoor air quality standards.

You may recall that I met this year with Willowdale residents involved in the advocacy group, Clean Indoor Air Toronto. This item at the Board of Health is a powerful example of the direct impact resident voices can have on shaping policy advances for the well-being of our City.