Wood stove pollution program gains province-wide support

About 140 Quebec municipalities are chipping in to help exchange old wood stoves for more eco-friendly models.

The program,run by the Quebec Association against Atmospheric Pollution (AQLPA) and partially funded by the provincial government, offers homeowners up to $600to replacetheir old stoves with more efficient models that meet environmental standards.

Municipalities across the provinceare now pitching in$100of that cost.

Since the project was launched last year, 3,500Quebecers have traded in their old stoves.

Andr Blisle, president of the AQLPA, said reducing the number of old wood stoves is an important step in reducing smog. He said air pollution can be a real danger for people with respiratory issues.

The filters in new wood stoves reduce the emission of fine particles by about 70 per cent.

Marc-Antoine Cantin is the president of the Association of Heating Professionals, an organization that also contributes funding tothe program.

He said the difference between the new stoves and the old modelscan be compared to theemissions from a Prius carversus a Model T Ford.

Aside from the environmental benefits, Cantin said the new stoves also cost less to run.

The program has been most successful in the Quebec City and Montrgie regions, according to Blisle.

Asimilar program on the island of Montreal, run by the organization, quiterre,is set to expire in March.