Research

Project Objective

The primary objective of this project is to facilitate community-level resilience against wildfire smoke, achieved via collaboration and engagement with community partners. This is characterized by practical strategies to reduce exposure to wildfire smoke through knowledge dissemination and construction of DIY air cleaners to prepare communities for wildfire seasons.

The project has 450 participants enrolled in a longitudinal study that evaluates people’s adaptation, knowledge, and current behaviours around climate change events (extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and other regional climate change events).

BREATHE 2024

In 2024, the BREATHE team expanded upon the pilot project run in the previous year. 

During the spring and summer of 2024, 45 workshops were held and 1250 units were built across 4 BC health regions, more than doubling the project’s outputs from 2023.

Written materials were provided in 12 languages: English, Spanish, French, Tagalog, traditional and simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Korean, Farsi, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Japanese.

Collaborators

  • Katia Tynan, Manager, Resilience and Disaster Planning, City of Vancouver
  • Dr. Vahid Hosseini, Professor, School of Sustainable Energy Engineering, SFU
  • Dr. Angela Eykelbosh, Environmental Health Scientist, Island Health
  • Dr. Menn Biagtan, Vice President, Health Initiatives and Programs, BC Lung Foundation
  • Dr. Stephanie Cleland, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, SFU
  • Eli Ross, Environmental Service Coordinator, Fraser Valley Regional District
  • Cory Hansen, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of New Westminster
  • Lisa Ronald,Climate and Health Scientist, Northern Health Authority
  • Magda Kapp, Emergency Response & Partnerships West Kelowna, United Way BC
  • Chris Ray, Climate Action and Environment Manager, City of Kelowna 
  • Casey Neathway, Director, Regional Health Emergency Management and Environmental Public Health Services, FNHA
  • Dr. Amy Lubik, Climate Change and Planetary Health Lead, Fraser Health
  • Katina Pollard, Director, Provincial Health and Wellness, Métis Naftion of BC 

 

Media Coverage

In 2024, the BREATHE Project received extensive media coverage including articles and interviews. You can check them out on our “In the News” page.