If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may have reached Reactine a little longer than usual this year. Pollen has appeared in the clouds in much of Western Canada, accumulating in cars, decks, roads and even beaches. “It’s ridiculous. I’ve never seen it that way,” says Saige Liimatainen, who suffers from severe allergy symptoms this year where she lives near Prince George BC. “I’m sitting in my car right now and looking at a nice layer of pollen in my mirror. And it’s very bad. My allergies are very awful.” High pollen levels, due in part to last year’s heat dome, are causing drifts on beaches such as the West Lake near Prince George, BC (Saige Liimatainen).
How ugly is it?
Pollen counts were high in much of western Canada, according to Daniel Coates, director of Aerobic Research Laboratories in Ontario. The Ottawa lab monitors pollen and spores throughout Canada to provide data and forecasts for a number of trees, including oak, birch and pine. “Right now, pine is actually growing in Edmonton and it does that for a while,” says Coates. In Saskatchewan, both Saskatoon and Regina had high pollen rates this spring. “For pine pollen this year in Saskatoon, it’s similar to last year. We had a few days close to 500 grains per cubic meter, which is very high,” he says. According to Coates, the pine in Regina is worse than last year and has lasted from the end of May until now. The root of this floating nuisance comes from the branches of coniferous trees. Blooming in our trees is breathtaking – by many definitions, says Janice Cooke, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta. “Fir trees in our urban neighborhoods are just loaded like Christmas trees with all these cones,” he says. “Every now and then we have a series of growth conditions and meteorological conditions. Everything is aligned and we have a lot of flowering and we call that training.” This is the first time in a few years that we are experiencing this, he says.
Heat is a driving force
Cooke says the growth of a tree pollen is delayed. This means that this year’s flowering is determined by last year’s weather. “We had a drought and we also had an extreme heat incident last summer. Both are very difficult for plants,” said Helen Shook, a research researcher at GardenLine, a free help desk offered by the University of Saskatchewan. He says that sometimes a tree’s response to these conditions is over-reproduction. “It triggers all kinds of things inside the plant. And one of them is a survival mechanism. So, we have to make babies, we have to make seeds.” Cooke says our colder spring has also affected the release of pollen. He says frosts during the night and lower temperatures during the day delayed pollen shedding. “Everything throws at the same time. And that’s why we’re seeing this crazy amount of pollen in the air this year,” Cooke said. While excessive cones will not damage the trees, they can affect growth. (Kirk Fraser / CBC)
Is climate change to blame?
The answer to that question is a bit complicated, according to Cooke. This is because many of these trees only produce large cone crops every now and then because they need a lot of resources. “Even in conditions of climate change, where we might see these hot summer canopies more often, they will not always correspond to these huge crops,” he says. And although stress on trees and high cone production can affect growth, Cooke says it is not harmful for trees to produce so much pollen. “It puts them in a small deficit during the season. But this season so far has been really conducive to tree growth,” he says.
People with allergies are feeling the effects
Of course, the other thing that grows is the irritability of people who suffer from seasonal allergies. Dr Ross Chang, an allergist in Burnaby, BC, says patients appear to be experiencing more severe symptoms this season than last. “Allergies are an overreaction of the immune system. We call it hyperactivity,” says Chang, a former president of the BC Society of Allergy and Immunology. “And for some people, different harmless things like pollen, dust, pets or food can cause moderate or severe allergic reactions.” Chang says anything from itching, watery eyes and runny nose to breathing problems such as asthma can all be caused by pollen measurements like the one we have seen. Pollen coming from Mount Hudson’s Bay in Smithers, BC (Submitted by Jim Oud) According to Chang, about 20 percent of people in Canada suffer from some form of seasonal airborne allergy. “The most important thing is that to let people know that there is help for people with allergies, you do not have to suffer from it,” he says. “There are many methods we can do to help you enjoy your spring and summer.” activities.” At the Ottawa Pollen Lab, Coach agrees that when measurements increase, there are little things you can do that help. “Take a walk after it rains because the rain washes away the pollen from the air,” he says. Even covering, wrapping sunglasses or keeping pets away from furniture on bad pollen days can save you from the symptoms, according to Coates. On very bad days, drastic measures may apply, he adds. “Just stay inside.” Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of a CBC News initiative entitled “Our Changing Planet” to show and explain the effects of climate change. Stay up to date with the latest news on our Climate and Environment page.
