Burn it Smart

Accomplishments

In January and February 2003, the Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence hosted 24 free Burn It Smart workshops for members of the public and industry professionals in Fergus, Guelph, Kitchener, Paris, London, Hanover, Wingham, Kincardine, Port Elgin, Cambridge, Clinton and Tillsonburg.

Over 1,000 people learned how to burn wood in a more efficient, safe and environmentally-friendly way.

Smart wood burning means less ...

• carbon monoxide
• nitrogen oxides
• volatile organic compounds
• small particles
• benzene
• formaldehyde
• benzopyrene
• dioxins and furans
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

... in the air we breathe!

Over three million Canadian households use wood to heat their homes and cottages. Hundreds of thousands more burn wood on an occasional basis for ambiance. Poor wood burning techniques release large quantities of harmful pollutants — visible as smoke — into the air we breathe. Inefficient wood burning is also a safety concern. Unburned smoke can collect in the chimney as creosote, becoming the perfect fuel for a chimney fire with the potential for disaster. Burn It Smart is a national campaign developed by the federal government to address the health and environmental effects of inefficient burning and to encourage Canadians to change their wood-burning habits by taking a few simple precautions. For more information visit http://www.burnitsmart.org/english/index.html.

Our partners

Natural Resources Canada .. Wood Energy Technology Transfer Inc. .. Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association .. Canadian Lung Association .. Ontario Fire Marshall .. Environment Canada .. Ontario Mutual Insurance Association .. Insurance Institute of Ontario .. local fire departments .. local building inspectors .. local wood stove retailers