New sensors monitoring air quality around Victoria harbour

Two of the new monitors are at Fisherman's Wharf, two are at the Ogden Point cruise ship terminal and the final pair are at the Victoria International Marina in Vic West. (CTV News)

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority has installed six new air-quality monitors to provide the public with hourly data on levels of soot, dust and pollutants from vehicles and vessels in the region.

Two of the monitors are at Fisherman's Wharf, two are at the Ogden Point cruise ship terminal and the final pair are at the Victoria International Marina in Vic West.

The harbour authority says the region's readings consistently measure an ideal score of 20 or less in PM2.5 concentrations, which refers to levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) that can reduce visibility or cause the air to appear hazy when concentrations are high.

An interactive map of PM2.5 concentrations on Vancouver Island and across the country is available here.

The harbour authority was monitoring ambient sulfur dioxide levels in Victoria's James Bay neighbourhood since 2011, in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Island Health.

In 2020, the station was shut down due to the decline in emissions and the James Bay environmental air monitoring station has not had any elevated readings in more than two years, the harbour authority said.

"We recognize that our properties and operations are part of the Victoria Harbour Bird Sanctuary, the oldest migratory bird sanctuary on the west coast of Canada," said GVHA CEO Ian Robertson in a statement Wednesday.

"We’re constantly exploring new technology to make harbour activities greener, including the adoption of electric shuttle buses," he added. "Unfortunately, electric buses are still extremely unreliable but as with every setback, we will continue to seek out new technological solutions to advance sustainability initiatives."