Much has been said, especially from the manufacturers of wood burning appliances, that wood burning is safe. Not so! Wood smoke is very toxic.

Cigarette smoke has been dealt with and yet wood smoke, which is far more dangerous, remains in our air with little that can be done without help from our municipalities.

Wood smoke, as I have personally found out, cannot be kept out of one's home. The particulate matter is so small that it comes in through even tiny spaces in doors, windows and ventilation systems.

No resident should have to beg to have fresh air to breathe in their own home. Legal action is both time-consuming and expensive. Many municipalities are now dealing with residential burning, knowing that they are protecting the health of their residents and future generations.

Effective enforcement, when a complaint is called in, is key to solving the problem of surrounding neighbours being subjected to the smoke from residential wood burning.

My suggestion is that the first complaint be dealt with by a warning, the second complaint by a fine and each successive complaint receives an escalating fine. This would put the onus on the burner to to either burn properly, keeping the noxious smoke from invading surrounding neighbours, or find that wood burning is too expensive to continue.

With strict enforcement of a bylaw such as this, it would be a very inexpensive way for municipalities to spare the air for their residents and show that they understand that residents need to be protected from smoke invasion in their homes and properties,

Burning is an option, breathing is not!