Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable

The Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable (PGAIR) is a non-profit society, founded in 2006, that brings together multiple interests to work collaboratively towards continuous improvement of outdoor air quality within the Prince George airshed. The Fraser Basin Council serves as secretariat.

Prince George faces serious, longstanding air quality problems. These are linked primarily to topography, emissions from transportation, industry, road dust and burning of wood for home heating and recreational use. Air quality improvements are encouraging, and work is underway to further reduce harmful emissions and protect the health of residents.

PGAIR is not a regulatory body and has no formal authority to permit or regulate air quality emissions; however, among the PGAIR members are regulatory agencies that can use regulatory tools. Members of PGAIR represent local and provincial government agencies, industry, academia, community groups and members of the public, health agencies, commercial and transportation sectors.

2024 Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program

The BC Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program (previously known as the Wood Stove Exchange Program) offers incentives to encourage British Columbians to exchange older, smoky wood-burning appliances for low-emission appliances, including pellet and EPA-certified clean burning wood stoves or inserts.

New in 2024 is a $300 incentive for simply removing and decommissioning an old, smoky, non-emissions certified wood stove, without the need for an exchange. 

The program has been run since 2008 in the Prince George airshed by the Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable (PGAIR), with administrative support from the Fraser Basin Council. Residents have switched out over 450 old stoves for high-efficiency appliances and removed an estimated an annual 42 tonnes of particulate matter (PM) emissions from the airshed.

The program is possible thanks to a partnership of the Province of British Columbia, BC Lung, PGAIR, the City of Prince George and the RDFFG.

For details and to participate, see the Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program on the PGAIR site.

2023 Report on Advancing Air Quality & Climate Change Co-Benefits

In 2023 a new report Advancing Air Quality and Climate Co-Benefits in the Prince George Airshed was released by PGAIR and a student team with the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP).

The  team identified 10 Big Moves and 45 proposed actions that offer co-benefits for goals on air quality and climate change. The Big Moves and proposed actions target three sectors that are the highest contributors to air pollutants and GHGs in the PGA: Transportation, Industry, and Buildings.

The report also identified funding opportunities for each Big Move, and suggested timelines and lead organization(s) for each proposed action. Each proposed action is supported by example actions categorized by 6 action types to reflect the diverse approaches that the partner organizations can apply in the PGA.

Read the Report (PGAIR Site)

Air Quality Monitoring

PGAIR provides support and input to the Prince George Air Quality Monitoring Society, facilitating information sharing and monitoring network funding and maintenance.

Education on Cleaner Wood Burning

Through a Burn It Clean initiative, PGAIR has supported public education for those who heat with wood, such as best practices for selecting, drying, storing and burning.

The Fraser Basin Council has included Burn it Clean videos in its Wood Smoke Information Resources Portal.

Highlights of Past Work

Here are some other work highlights. PGAIR has:

• Created and supported the implementation of air quality management and implementation plans in 1998 (Phase I), 2006 (Phase II) and 2011 (Phase III). Through those efforts, PM2.5 was reduced by approximately 29% between 2005 and 2016. Find reports on the PGAIR site.
• Helped fund air quality research, including an air quality emissions and modelling report in 2021 – see reports on its site
• Provided annual emissions reductions briefing notes to identify and communicate member agency actions for incorporating air quality management plan strategies
• Supported public education on anti-idling and dust reduction
• Developed a teaching resource package for educators (2013, updated 2019)
• Hosted a North Central BC Clean Air Forum in 2013 and 2018
• Created a series of air quality videos with local artists in 2015

Learn More

To learn more about PGAIR, including its strategic plan and current projects, visit the PGAIR website and follow on Facebook.

Contact Us

Questions? Reach out to PGAIR c/o the Fraser Basin Council, Secretariat:
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